From beauty ideals to black market: The changing face of plastic surgery in China
In the bustling streets of modern China, a new trend is quietly reshaping the nation’s perception of beauty and self-improvement. Plastic surgery, once a taboo topic, has surged in popularity from both reconstructive and aesthetic aspects. Cosmetic surgery, a subset of plastic surgery, is now reshaping beauty standards, particularly among younger generations. Propelled by social […]
When nostalgia meets rebellion: The new face of Hello Kitty in China
In April 2025, Beast 野兽派, a leading Chinese lifestyle brand known for its premium floral products and artistic collaborations, launched a high-impact Hello Kitty pop-up campaign on Shanghai’s West Bund. Tapping into the strong cultural resonance of Hello Kitty in China, the activation aligned with the ongoing Shanghai Flower Show. It quickly gained traction on social media, generating […]
From milk tea to chili sauce: Can Sexy Tea (茶颜悦色) catch up with CHAGEE (霸王茶姬)?
Founded in 2013 in Changsha, Hunan, Sexy Tea (茶颜悦色) built its brand around “New Chinese-style Fresh Tea”(新中式鲜茶) focusing primarily on light milk tea (轻乳茶). Thanks to its distinctive flavor and exclusive local business model, it quickly gained popularity. However, while its reputation soared, Sexy Tea remained cautious about expansion and only ventured beyond Changsha […]
Skyward bound: charting the new global course of aircraft manufacturing
The Chinese aviation market is rapidly growing, boosted by a rising middle class and government support. With an average yearly growth of 10.5% over the past decade, as per the International Air Transport Association (IATA), China surpassed the U.S. as the largest aviation market in 2019 based on passenger numbers. To meet this demand China […]
Dongbei Renaissance: from industrial decline to cultural and economic renewal
The Northeast region, known as Dongbei (东北) in Chinese, encompasses Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang provinces, along with East Wuleng City in Inner Mongolia. Historical events, such as the Japanese invasion and the Civil War, unfolded on this fertile land, rich in natural resources like coal, fertile soil, and various minerals. During the first two decades […]
How can China, the leader in renewable energy but the world’s biggest carbon emitter, find its path to carbon neutrality by 2060
China is heavily investing in renewable energies to stay within the limits of its two carbon emission goals: to reach peak emission by 2030 and neutrality in 2060. While China is the biggest investor in renewable energy globally, it is simultaneously also the biggest emitter of CO2, as energy supply stability and continued economic growth […]
The ultimate guide to navigate the Chinese digital marketing ecosystem
The incredible popularity of instant messaging and online shopping in China, along with the adoption of smartphones, has greatly helped China in becoming the largest social network and e-commerce market. As of 2021, it is estimated that the total social network users and digital buyers in China reached 987.3 million and 824.5 million respectively. Behind […]
Hydrogen vehicles in China: Will it overtake EVs?
As of March 2022, the Chinese government released the country’s first-ever long-term plan for hydrogen vehicles. By 2025, the government aims to have 50,000 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles on the road, more than 6 times the existing units of 8,000 in 2020. The gap in the market and the explicit support from the government for the […]
How the Zero-COVID lockdown impacted the Chinese economy
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused not only a public health crisis, but also an economic crisis across the globe. According to the International Monetary Fund, the median global GDP dropped by 12% from 2019 to 2020. When Omicron became the dominant variant, most countries started loosening their restrictions as the new variant is less deadly, […]
Vaping in China: Will brands target young adults or convert smokers?
Vaping has become a trend worldwide in recent years. The e-cigarettes which were previously introduced to help smokers quit have become a symbol of the Gen Z. The size of the vape market in China is still smaller than that in the U.S., despite a much larger smoking population. Many users, including middle schoolers and […]
Why China’s Idol Economy is at its Turning Point
The year 2021 has been the turning point for China’s idol economy. After several years of booming growth, it fell into decline from July 2021 onwards. The “Operation Qinglang” (清朗运动, the operation to cleanse the entertainment industry) launched by the Cyberspace Administration of China in August dealt a huge blow to the idol economy. With […]
The China International Import Expo 2021: Sustainability, health and winter sports highlighted for future development
The 4th edition of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai ended on November 10th. Similar to past years, the Expo acted as a sounding board for reiterating China’s commitment to open up its domestic market to the world economy. President Xi Jinping announced for the first time its intention to hold an import […]