Faculty Fellow Michel Hockx spoke recently to Voice of America Mandarin about popular vlogger Li Ziqi, saying that videos of the Internet star would appeal to Western and Chinese-speaking audiences around the world.
“For non-Chinese audiences, they might strengthen certain views of Chinese culture and Chinese tradition as ‘exotic and different,’” said Hockx, director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies and a professor of Chinese literature. However, he said videos like those featuring Li won’t necessarily benefit China.
"These celebrities are not actively working with the state, as far as I know. Of course they're not working against it either," he said. "They are making use of the spaces that are available to achieve fame and success, and the state is happy to hold them up as exemplars for their policy."
Read the entire article, “As China’s Vloggers Draw International Fans, Beijing Sees Soft Power Opportunity,” here.