PREMIUM NEWSLETTER ISSUE #9
This week’s newsletter:? 1. Editor’s Note – Shared roots? 2. What’s Trending – A closer look at the top stories? 3. What to Know – Highlighting 8 hot topics? 4. What Lies Behind – Collective shock over Coco Lee’s death? 5. What’s Noteworthy – Taiwanese man decapitates mother? 6. What’s Popular – Jackie Chan’s Weibo page? 7. What’s Memorable – One year since Abe’s assassination? 8. Weibo Word of the Week – “Chunyuan of China’s Entertainment Industry”
Dear Reader,
“No matter how blonde you dye your hair, how sharp you shape your nose, you can never become a European or American, you can never become a Westerner. We must know where our roots lie.”
These words, spoken by Chinese top official Wang Yi during the first China-Japan-ROK forum since the outbreak of COVID-19, were intended to emphasize the power of trilateral relations and the shared Chinese, Japanese, and Korean roots. The remark attracted significant attention this week, both on Chinese social media and in English-language social media spheres, albeit for different reasons.
While many on Twitter criticized Wang’s remarks for emphasizing ethnoracial ideas of the nation, Chinese social media users actually supported his comments, stating that he had “hit the nail on the head.”
However, despite agreeing with him, they interpreted his remarks not as a call for unity among China, Japan, and South Korea to “revitalize Asia,” but rather as a critique. Some suggested that Wang’s words were a form of “high diplomacy,” where it appeared that he was praising the relations between the three countries while subtly criticizing the other two for becoming too Westernized and for deviating from their cultural roots.
The online response to Wang Yi’s remarks demonstrates that stressing these kinds of “shared roots” may not hold much significance in a time where “shared memories” are what truly matters. It is not perceived shared race that counts, but rather perceived shared history.
Two other prominent trends this week revealed that netizens were most united when collectively remembering a shared past. The first trend centered around popular culture, as millions mourned the loss of pop icon Coco Lee, who tragically passed away after an attempted suicide. Netizens shared their personal and collective memories of Coco Lee and what she meant to them, bonding through nostalgia and the vibrant pop culture era that brought them together.
The second trend centered around the memory of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which occurred on July 7th, 1937, and led to the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). Although today’s netizens did not personally experience this incident, patriotic education campaigns in China during the 1990s and 2000s have stressed the importance of these historical events to such an extent that many feel emotionally connected to this history. This echoes official calls to never forget this incident and how it has shaped the Chinese people. The intensity of the state media campaign surrounding the 86th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident highlights the significance of social media platforms as “patriotic education bases.”
In the end, feelings of connection, unity, and belonging are not about the shape of one’s nose or the color of one’s hair. It is about the stories that we grow up with, passed down by our families and reinforced through education, museums, and media. Particularly in the social media age, where a sense of rootedness may not be immediately apparent, it is these kinds of ‘shared roots’ that become most visible through online discourse.
This week’s newsletter includes valuable insights from What’s on Weibo news editor Miranda Barnes and Zilan Qian, who is interning with us this summer.
On a more personal note..,
I’ll be out traveling through China in the coming few weeks. For me, it will be the first occasion to get back to traveling around the country since the outbreak of Covid-19. Since I want to spend as much time as possible exploring new places and seeing the changes around me, you might temporarily see a bit less content on the site. I will share more about my travels on social media (you can follow me on Twitter or on Instagram). We will get back to our usual work flow and newsletters in August.
Having said that, I would also like to take a moment to express my gratitude to you as a subscriber. It has been eight months since we introduced the ‘soft paywall’ and two months since the inception of the Weibo Watch newsletter. As many of you may know, I have been managing What’s on Weibo single-handedly for the past decade, and these changes were necessary to ensure the sustainability of my work. While we still need more subscribers to ensure the long-term viability of our platform, I am immensely grateful to all of you who have reached out with words of encouragement and support over the past few months. Whether it’s a quick heads-up about a typo, sharing ideas, engaging in discussions, spreading the word, or even generously supporting the site through donations, please know that all of your gestures are very much appreciated.
We are dedicated to staying in tune with everyday China, keeping our finger on the pulse of the latest trends, and uncovering the stories behind the hashtags. By doing so, we aim to build a bridge between Western and Chinese online media spheres, fostering a deeper understanding of China’s ever-evolving digital media landscape. I am excited to continue on this journey and further build this community in the times ahead – and I’m happy you’re part of it.
Keep cool in the summer heat!
Best,Manya
What’s Trending
1: July 7, 1937
