Following the Yuan

Consumer news digest: March 15 Consumer Rights Gala highlights AI safety, Pop Mart sues 3D printer, Disney's new local rivals | Following…

Mentioned brands, companies and institutions are: Pop Mart, Bambu Lab, Papergames, Centurium Capital, Blue Bottle, Chagee, Alibaba, Formula 1, Tencent…

Mar 16 • Yaling Jiang and Rongrong Zhuge

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February 2026

What are premium Chinese brands doing for Spring Festival 2026? 🧨 | Following the Yuan

Since the rise of ‘guochao’ movement, domestic brands have increasingly taken over the centerstage in consumer aspirations, which also make them role…

Feb 21 • Yaling Jiang and Rongrong Zhuge

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🐎 Consumer news digest (CNY edition): from Spring Festival Gala to AI red envelopes | Following the Yuan

The brands/companies we mentioned in this issue are: Gaggle studios, Kingsoft Shiyou

Feb 18 • Yaling Jiang and Rongrong Zhuge

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America’s perceived downfall activated China’s soft power, what now? | Following the Yuan

adjusted from my panel speech at LSE's China Development Forum

Feb 13 • Yaling Jiang

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🗣️ Dialect renaissance: 10 Chinese dialect influencers to watch | Following the Yuan

Once upon a time, speaking Mandarin with an accent in China was looked down upon. That is not the case anymore (at least with these influencers).

Feb 5 • Yaling Jiang and Rongrong Zhuge

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January 2026

🍼 China's birthrate crisis and the business of single women's fertility | Following the Yuan

On the missing piece in China's birthrate narrative

Jan 29 • Yaling Jiang

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Consumer news digest: you can help rename viral app "Are you dead", Apple Watch becomes Class II medical device in China, Alo Yoga to open…

China's closure rate of food and beverage venues is expected to more than double, reaching a record of 48.9% in 2025 from under 20% in 2019.

Jan 14 • Yaling Jiang and Rongrong Zhuge

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December 2025

Life in China: When economic indicators and lived experience diverge | Following the Yuan

After speaking with over 50 residents in more than 10 cities and towns she visited this year, Wanqing writes about the things that cannot be priced into…

Dec 30, 2025 • Wanqing Chen

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⛷️ Consumer news digest: Condom sales slump, skiing on budget, “90-year-old high energy girl” + 11 more updates

The brands we mentioned in this issue are: Jissbon, RedNote, RedPine, Pandora, Laopu Gold, Richemont, PopMart, Haidilao, Mannings, Jing (herbal…

Dec 16, 2025 • Yaling Jiang and Rongrong Zhuge

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November 2025

How fire tests China’s consciousness

From Urumqi fire to Hong Kong fire, how human tragedies test consciousness of the people, society, and systems behind them.

Nov 29, 2025 • Yaling Jiang

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🔫 Pop Mart's slip-ups during rapid expansion, and 12 other consumer market updates | Following the Yuan

Brands mentioned: JD.com, Tmall, INS Land, Starbucks, Pop Mart, Mardi, ADERERROR, Anta, Rapha, Crispi, Li-Ning, Didi, Douyin

Nov 14, 2025 • Yaling Jiang and Rongrong Zhuge

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The Emotional Toll of China’s Housing Market Slide ⬇️ | Following the Yuan

As housing prices go down, many feel that their sacrifices and compromises made for work and mortgage during the high-growth era have been in vain.

Nov 10, 2025 • Rongrong Zhuge and Yaling Jiang

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