Digital Ethnography on China’s Wanghong Economy and Chuhai Trend

Abstract

This thesis delves into China’s wanghong economy and its globalizing trend by looking into the case of Chinese wanghong Li Ziqi. Borrowing a threefold framework, it conducts a digital ethnography at micro-meso-macro levels, corresponding to individual wanghongs, corporate MCNs, and infrastructural platforms. At a micro level, this digital ethnography focuses on Chinese wanghong Li Ziqi and touches on other types of wanghongs: one wanghong city, five wanghong bureaus, one wanghong cadre, two wanghong diplomats, three wanghong entrepreneurs, and eight wanghongs. At a meso level, it looks deep into Li Ziqi’s MCN Company, while briefly addressing the six other MCNs. At a macro level, it pays close attention to Chinese twin platforms Douyin and TikTok, while referring to other six pairs of twin platforms. Notably, this digital ethnography uses state media coverages as the main data sources. The ubiquitous state media network, with its real-time censorship and tracking reports, plays significant roles in popularizing, supervising, governing, and globalizing wanghong economy. Propelled by state policies, platform capitalism, and grassroots creativity, wanghong economy scales up to shape political propaganda, digital governance, social services, platform economy, media industry, regional tourism, employment markets, rural development, and many more aspects in China. The multilevel ethnography unfolds state policies, power dynamics, and globalizing trends in wanghong economy. Simultaneously, the globalization of wanghong economy is championed by state policies and digital capitalism, but faces socio-political hurdles, technological controversies, and exotic social media cultures across borders. Outgrowing China’s Great Firewall, wanghong economy is confronted by more “firewalls” packaged with rising trade tariffs, cyber sovereignty, data privacy, platform nationalism, national security, and right-wing populism across the globe. Despite these firewalls, Chinese wanghong industry has proved its huge potential to redefine China and reform global influencer economy in the long run. In its multilevel chuhai trends, wanghong economy is challenging the existing hierarchies in global media space and leading to a multipolar configuration of global digital culture.