Omg that's so me

I lost it at "Herobrine"

How prevalent is this? My impression was that this was tested on a limited scale then ended because it was unpopular. I might've confused it for something else though.

The sentiment seems to vary quite a bit based on which platform you're on. While scrolling Douyin (tik tok) I saw lots of pro-LGBT content and openly homosexual couples, lots of pride flags and so on (this compilation includes some of that). I also looked up the Baidu Baike articles on 跨性别 and 同性恋, and I thought they were really good. When it comes to state media, they also made some documentaries showing the LGBT community in a positive light. I also found this SCMP article quite insightful. Of course, we also shouldn't forget that China has the world's biggest gay dating app: Blued.

Of course you can use it, don't be silly! The government doesn't actively monitor your apps or internet activity.

Highlighting this quote from the research paper:

The research for this report was funded by the “China Network’s International Programme (Open Societies) Fund 2022/23 (£68k). The report and all contents reflect the independent work and conclusions of the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of the funders, the British Embassy Beijing, or the U.K. government. The authors wish to extend their gratitude to the individuals and organisations who supported this research by providing concrete feedback for revisions on the report, offering suggestions and advice at the planning stages, and offering ongoing collaborative and moral support while conducting this research: Elise Anderson, Campaign for Uyghurs, Freedom House, Tim Grose, Ondřej Klimeš, Julie Millsap, David O’Brien, the Rights Practice, Radio Free Asia, Isabella Rodriguez, David Stroup, Hannah Theaker, Emily Upson, the Uyghur Human Rights Project, the Uyghur Transitional Justice Database, the World Uyghur Congress, the Xinjiang Documentation Project, the Xinjiang Victims’ Database, and Adrian Zenz.

China Network’s International Programme (Open Societies) Fund is funded by the UK government and offers research grants for the following:

All projects should aim to support improvements to and/or increase understanding and awareness of contemporary human rights in China. Issues on which we welcome bids include but are not limited to: Freedom of expression, including media freedom and countering disinformation Religious and cultural rights, including for minority groups. Technology and human rights, Criminal justice reform, Civil Society resilience.

And of course, the research is supported by Radio Free Asia, Adrian Zenz, and a bunch of the classic NED funded Uyghur activist groups.

If we're talking about cultural exports, then I would highlight the three body trilogy, which is a Sci-fi trilogy which actually did become quite popular in the west. China of course also has quite a big gaming industry (genshin).

14 upvotes in 10 minutes? something fishy going on 🤔

I mean, China has lots of 'cool' things, but it is actively suppressed by the media landscape in the west. It should also be noted that China lacks soft power only in western countries. According to the Bennett Institute, China is more popular in the global south than the US.

This will definitely turn the tide of the war 🤯

Does anyone actually understand the appeal of these streams? Is it just kids that watch it? or is it an NPC fetish like moist says?

Yeah it seems that the discourse varies a lot based on which platform you're on. I've heard a lot of bad things about the Baidu forums lol

Bro that's terrifying. Should've seen this coming.

Not to mention the fact that captain america isn't censored or anything in China.