Foreign brands hoping to successfully introduce new brands to the market and engage local consumer audiences cannot do so without a basic understanding of China’s unique social media landscape. This article explores five of the most popular platforms that brands effectively use to promote their products - WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Bilibili. Each platform caters to distinct audience segments and requirers unique engagement methods.

The Chinese social media landscape differs significantly from Western platforms and functionality. Foreign brands need local insight and expertise to successfully navigate this unique social environment. Understanding these differences, cultural nuances, consumer behavior, regulatory frameworks, translated to have local relevance is crucial to effectively engage with Chinese consumers.

A discussion of the pivotal changes the US-China trade war brings, how China has reacted to the US tariffs, and how it is reshaping the global trade order. These key shifts have implications for the South African economy, for trade relations with the two superpowers, and for business opportunities. - The following Afrikaans commentary was published on April 8, 2025, on the South African Afrikaans news platform Maroela Media.

As the global economic order continues to shift—accelerated by the US-China trade war—smaller nations like South Africa have a rare opportunity to strengthen their export presence in China. The Middle Kingdom is a vast, complex market with rising demand for premium imports. This post explores how businesses can navigate the complex Chinese market and highlights two entry strategies for success.

The US tariffs has shocked the old system, has escalated the US-China trade war, caused monumental shifts in global trade policies and age-old economic alliances. — This commentary on the ongoing US-China trade war was published on March 26, 2025, in Business Day, a South African national newspaper.

The China market is like no other on earth. It is enormous, diverse, and offers significant opportunities, but knowledge and insight is needed to navigate it’s complex landscape. A number of factors make China both complicated and extremely exciting.

Trump’s “America First” trade policies, including higher tariffs on China, signal a major shift in the global economy. How South Africa navigates this changing landscape will be key to its long-term economic future.

— This commentary on the US-China trade war was published on March 13, 2025, in Die Burger and Beeld (13/03/2025), two South African national newspapers (News24.com). Click for the English version.

In a remarkable turn of events, the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu “Little Red Book”, has been the surprise recipient of a mass migration of American TikTok users over the last week. The movement represents the largest unfiltered cultural exchange since China established its Great Digital Firewall.

— This article appeared on the South African national news site Maroela Media (28/01/2025) under the Afrikaans title “China se Trojaanse Perd”.

As this is the inaugural blog post for My China Link, it is fitting that it coincides with the start of the Chinese New Year 2025. In China the new year, or Spring Festival, is celebrated according to the lunar calendar, which is marked by the first new moon that appears between January 21 and February 20 each year.