-- By the end of 2025, with the hosting of the "Co-building the Digital Silk Road" Seminar in Shanghai and the release of the report "Digital Silk Road in Thailand" in Bangkok, a new type of cross-border communication pathway has become increasingly clear. This pathway uses digital technology as the carrier and cultural content as the bond. Chinese digital content and lifestyle are undergoing a profound transformation from one-way export to two-way interaction, and from "going global" to "going deep," through the "new digital trio" represented by online literature, online dramas, and online games, as well as technological applications such as mobile payments, mini-programs, and artificial intelligence.
From "Cultural Export" to "Ecological Integration": "Digital Content" Connects Global Youth
In the past, the international spread of Chinese culture mainly relied on traditional carriers such as silk, tea, and handicrafts. Today, the "new digital trio" centered around online literature, film and TV dramas, and games is reaching overseas users, especially young people, in a more engaging and direct manner.
According to the report "Digital Silk Road in Thailand," Douyin and China Animation both have a usage rate exceeding 90% among young people in Thailand. Online games such as Genshin Impact and Honor of Kings, along with online literature represented by WebNovel, are also widely popular. WeTV, the international streaming platform by Tencent Video, recorded nearly 80 million downloads globally in 2024, with nearly 5 billion views. TV series such as Joy of Life and The Tale of Rose have become shared topics among audiences in many countries.
More notably, Chinese digital content platforms are becoming incubators for global creation. On WebNovel, the international platform under China Literature Group, over 500,000 overseas creators have published 770,000 original works, attracting nearly 300 million cumulative users. This model of "platform going global + local creation" signifies that China's digital cultural ecosystem has upgraded from "content export" to "ecosystem co-building."
Payment, E-commerce, and AI: Digital Lifestyles Gradually Integrate into Daily Life Along the Silk Road
The Digital Silk Road is not just about the flow of content but also the integration of lifestyles. In popular business districts in Bangkok, Thailand, 61% of merchants have adopted Chinese mobile payment solutions, with WeChat Pay covering the entire BTS Skytrain system in the city. Thai supermarket chain BIG C allows consumers in China to directly purchase high-quality Thai products through its WeChat mini-program. LINE MAN, a local food delivery platform in Thailand, has also launched a mini-program and provides Chinese language training for its riders to better serve tourists.
Artificial intelligence serves as a "decoder" for cross-cultural understanding. During its international expansion, China Literature Group leverages AI not only for multilingual translation but also to analyze cultural "memes" and "pleasure points," seeking "equivalent expressions" in target markets. Large models such as Tencent's Hunyuan and Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen are also among the global leaders. Features like AI-generated videos and 3D modeling significantly lower the barriers to creation, promoting "creation equality".
The report shows that 66.7% of Thai corporate users find Chinese AI products "very convenient," and 74% of enterprises are using Chinese cloud services. The collaboration between Tencent Cloud and Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Group has further facilitated the digital and intelligent upgrade of retail systems. Digital technology has extended from the consumer end to the industrial end, becoming a booster for local economic transformation.
Youth Co-Creation and Emotional Resonance: Cross-Cultural Interaction Enters the "Two-Way Era"
"The driving force behind the Digital Silk Road is the global youth," pointed out Fanny Liao, Director of Corporate Strategic Communications at Tencent, at the seminar. Young people are no longer passive recipients but active participants and co-creators.
Take the variety show "Chuang Asia" as an example: it brings together contestants from more than ten countries, with deep involvement from mainstream Thai television stations, creating a stage for multicultural integration. Audiences spontaneously interact through bullet comments, fan-made derivative content, and social media, forming a model of "user-led cultural co-creation." This new form of exchange communication, driven by emotion and empowered by technology, significantly enhances the effectiveness of cross-cultural communication.
Wang Xiao, expert in digital globalization research and doctoral supervisor at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, cited the global outreach of Japanese culture as an example, noting that the current phase has entered a "period of deep integration," which involves exporting aesthetics and lifestyles while deeply integrating into the global industrial chain. China is undergoing a similar process—by integrating platforms, technology, and content, it is transforming culture from being "watched" to becoming "participatory."
From Thailand to the World: Digital Technology Continues to Drive Exchange and Mutual Learning Along the Belt and Road
The year 2025 marks the "Golden Jubilee of China-Thailand Friendship," with digital cooperation emerging as a new highlight in bilateral ties. Surasit Thanadtang, Director of the Thai-Chinese Strategic Research Center at the National Research Council of Thailand, stated that "the Digital Silk Road injects new momentum into cooperation between the two countries." Yang Xiaolong, Cultural Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, also emphasized that digital technology has become a "road of friendship" between China and Thailand.
According to the report "Digital Silk Road in Thailand," 79.7% of Thai people expressed satisfaction with the extension of China's digital economy into Thailand, and 76.7% believed that Chinese enterprises have created a large number of local jobs. Many small and medium-sized businesses have easily connected with the global market and achieved digital transformation through WeChat mini-programs and payment systems.
Outlook: Building a Shared Future with a Digital Bridge
Fang Ying, professor at the School of Economics and Management at the Communication University of China, believes that China's digital global outreach has shifted from "one-way export" to "two-way interaction," with digital lifestyles and content ecosystems jointly forming a new cultural bond. Wu Xuemei, head of overseas content at China Literature Group, emphasized that truly "going deep" requires patience, respect, and a spirit of co-creation.
As technologies such as artificial intelligence, 5G, and cloud computing continue to evolve, the Digital Silk Road has expanded beyond infrastructure into multidimensional domains such as commerce and people's livelihoods, cultural exchanges, and industrial upgrading. It not only promotes the deep integration of Chinese culture into the global landscape but also, through technological equality and ecosystem co-building, offers new possibilities for young people worldwide to express themselves and connect with others.
In the digital era, the Silk Road is no longer merely a conduit for goods but also a pathway for civilizational dialogue, emotional resonance, and lifestyle integration. This "invisible bridge," supported by technology, carried by content, and centered on youth, is quietly reshaping the global cultural flow and contributing to humanity's shared pursuit of a better life.
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