Baidu CEO Robin Li hosts the company's annual developer's conference in its metaverse, known as "XiRang." Credit: Baidu
China has joined the global race to develop the metaverse. But as with the internet itself, the Chinese version could end up looking very different from the one envisioned by Western companies.
The emergence of the world wide web in the 1990s led to predictions that it could accelerate a process of opening up and democratization in China. Instead, the country’s authorities created the so-called Great Firewall of China, inside which politically sensitive content is restricted from the internet, and local tech companies are largely protected from foreign competition.
The metaverse — a computer generated, interactive virtual reality space where people will be able to shop, attend concerts or sports events — is still in its early stages, with full development potentially five to ten years away. But experts predict the combination of tight regulation, promotion of local firms and the use of the country’s own digital currency will lead to a similar separation between the metave
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from David Barboza, Pulitzer Prize-winning former Shanghai correspondent for The New York Times.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
Why is one of Taiwan's largest media groups — Want Want China Times Media Group — spreading anti-U.S. rhetoric? Largely because its billionaire owner, Tsai Eng-meng, is known to sympathize with the Chinese Communist Party and favors unification with the mainland. Now, with Taiwan gearing up for a critical presidential election, Want Want’s efforts are picking up and helping to normalize CCP talking points.
A look at ZPMC: how it came to dominate ports around the world; its role in Chinese foreign policy; and the consequences of its links to the Chinese state.
The author and academic talks about how trade has actually changed over the last 40 years; why China's rise is linked to Asia's regionalization; and why international supply chains are efficient and resilient.