For many years, countries have maintained cultural images through specific products and symbols, such as Hollywood, Coke Cola and pop music of the US; the royal family and James Bond of the UK; opera and Renaissance of Italy; animations of Japan; and K-Pop of Korea. Chinese culture is often closely associated with kung fu, panda, Chinese food, etc. Chinese online games, short-video platforms and other new cultural products are becoming more and more popular around the world because they are interesting and non-political, according to a recent article by Deutschlandfunk. In addition to the well-known TikTok, Chinese companies have also created "hot styles" in some countries and regions. Relying on the new media, Chinese novels, films and TV series are going abroad at a faster pace.

In recent years, a game called Mobile Legends, developed by Shanghai Moonton Technology Co Ltd, has gained a large number of players in Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. It is a national game, with more than 14 million monthly active users in the Philippines, or one out of 10 Filipinos, as well as 80 million active users and over 100 million downloads in Indonesia. Mobile Legends was added to the e-sports program by the Philippines in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in.

The success of the game also depends on its localization. The company invited well-known Indonesian cartoonists to create characters, incorporating the country's legendary hero King Kong into the plot of the game. For Filipino users, Endless Showdown features a familiar national hero named Laplap. "It really brings the game closer to Filipinos," said Joebert, founder of the Philippines Esports and Gaming Summit.

At the same time, Chinese streaming media platforms seem to have made greater strides in entering the Southeast Asian market, and a number of variety shows have gained high attention by taking advantage of this situation. For example, Produce 1012020(《创造营2020》) and Produce 101 2021(《创造营2021》) have triggered a surge of viewing in Thailand. During the broadcast of the programs, they frequently appeared on the hot search list of local social media, generating more than 200 related hot search topics. According to Tencent Video (Thailand), its number of registered users Thailand increased by 400,000 due to the popularity of Produce 101 2021. Previously, original products from Chinese streaming platforms, such as the documentary Once Upon a Bite(《风味人间》) and the variety show Qi Pa Shuo(《奇葩说》) have also attracted a large number of fans in Southeast Asia.

Active integration of local elements and emphasis on local production is one of the reasons for the growing popularity of Chinese streaming platforms. After iQIYI launched its overseas edition in the Southeast Asian market, it produced a number of Malay-language TV dramas in cooperation with internet companies and film and TV drama production companies in Malaysia. In August last year, Tencent Video and a Thai company jointly produced the Thai language TV series Bad Genius, which officially launched on overseas edition of Tencent Video. "Co-production will help produce more quality content and help promote the Chinese platform in Southeast Asia," said Prachasai, manager of Thai edition of the Tencent Video overseas edition.

Pai Shan, a professor at the National Institute of Development Administration in Thailand, said that the economy of Southeast Asia develops rapidly these years, and the habits of Southeast Asian consumers is similar to those of Chinese users. As China continues to improve its video website technology, there is huge potential for cooperation between the two regions a time when Southeast Asian countries are in a critical period of digital economic transformation.

In Southeast Asia, online literature has also become a form of Chinese culture's going abroad. In 2017, China Literature Group officially launched its overseas portal Fictional Stories Hub. The website, with English translations of Chinese online literature as the main content, has more than 1,700 online works currently. According to media reports, Filipino users spend an average of more than an hour a day browsing on the site. In addition, China Literature Group has also authorized digital and physical book publishing in Thailand, Vietnam and other countries, with more than 700 licensed works.

Asunci, Associate Professor in the School of Economics of Thammasat University, said to Global Timesthat for a long time, the culture of Japan and Korea has a deep influence on the young people in Southeast Asia, while the contemporary culture of China lacks a sense of existence. But now the situation is changing. "The influence of Chinese economy is expanding, and cultural exchanges with Southeast Asian countries are increasing. Chinese culture is coming to Southeast Asia more and more through the internet."