Eye on Digital China

Eye on Digital China

Home
China Trend Watch
Signals
Chapter Dive
Archive
About

Chapter Dive

Chinese Postdoc Death Raises Questions as Key Details Remain Missing
About a widely discussed Chinese researcher’s death and the unanswered questions surrounding it. (Added update on April 3rd, 2026.)
 • Manya Koetse
From Armchair Generals to Women’s Rights Defenders: Inside the Great Chinese Debate Over the Iran War
From official hashtags to netizens cheering for women’s liberation, this is how China’s online discourse has taken shape this week.
 • Manya Koetse
The Fake Patients of Xiangyang: Hospital Scandal Shakes Welfare System Trust
Han Futao’s report on fake patients and systemic abuse has triggered an online debate over hospital malpractices, the fragility of the welfare system…
Chinamaxxing and the “Kill Line”: Why Two Viral Trends Took Off in the US and China
We’re at a very complicated time in our online lives: a long-read explainer of “Chinamaxxing,” the “kill line,” and the platform politics behind them.
 • Manya Koetse
The “Are You Dead Yet?” Phenomenon: How a Dark Satire Became China's #1 Paid App
A virtual Viagra for a pressured generation? The real story behind China’s latest viral app.
 • Manya Koetse
Trump, Taiwan & The Three-Body Problem: How Chinese Social Media Frames the Raid on Venezuela
How Chinese social media is making sense of the first geopolitical shockwaves of 2026
 • Manya Koetse
Why Were 100,000 Pregnant Women’s Blood Samples Smuggled Out of China?
How fetal sex testing became a national security story
 • Manya Koetse
When an Entertainment Scandal Gets Political: How Wong Kar-wai Survived a Nationalist Storm
The 2025 scandal surrounding Wong Kar-wai shows that public outrage only produces consequences when it aligns with official interests.
 • Ruixin Zhang
Eye on Digital China: How Chinese Social Media Evolved from the Blog Era to the AI-driven Age
Looking back, moving forward.
 • Manya Koetse
From ‘G2’ to ‘Love Affair’: Changing Dynamics Hidden in the Details
The Trump–Takaichi and Trump–Xi meetings became the biggest talking points of this APEC week — a week of 'diplomacy-as-theater' on Chinese social media.
 • Manya Koetse
The Nexperia Incident: A Mirror of China–Europe Tensions
This is what gives the Sino-Dutch 'Nexperia incident' its extra weight
 • Manya Koetse
The Dark Side of ‘Blossoms Shanghai’: Wong Kar-wai Scandal Explained
Whenever reports surfaced about the harsh conditions on Wong Kar-wai’s sets, mainstream media and fans often brushed off his tyrannical habits as the…
 • Manya Koetse
© 2026 Manya Koetse · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture