Guancha.cn (Chinese: 观察者网; lit. 'Observer Net') is a Shanghai-based[1][2] news site founded in 2012 by Eric X. Li, a venture capitalist and political scientist at Fudan University.[3] It has been described by analysts as "one of China's most popular and influential online media portals."[4]
 | |
Native name | 观察者网 |
|---|---|
Type of site | News website |
| Available in | Chinese |
| Headquarters | Shanghai |
| Country of origin | China |
| Owner |
|
| Founder | Eric X. Li |
| Key people | Zhang Weiwei |
| URL | www |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Optional |
| Launched | 2012 |
| Current status | Active |
History
editGuancha was launched in 2012 in Shanghai. Before its founding, an online platform known as "Social Observer" had been established in 2010 by Shanghai Chunqiu Development Strategy Research Institute. This early platform has been described as Guancha's predecessor.[4]
Throughout the 2010s and 2020s, Guancha has played a visible role in Chinese online discourse. A key event during this period was its coverage of Guancha-cofounder Zhang Weiwei's 2011 debate with Francis Fukuyama, in which Zhang promoted the "Chinese model" and questioned Western liberal democracy.[5] In 2013, prominent Chinese political commentators associated with the Industrial Party began contributing to the site.[6] In 2020, Guancha criticized the suspension of Donald Trump's Twitter account, with one article describing Trump as a "key driver of clicks" for the site.[7]
Guancha has also reported on international business controversies. In 2021, the site covered Intel's decision to avoid sourcing components from Xinjiang and criticized the move.[8] In 2024, Guancha's coverage included criticism of stand-up comedian Yang Li, which was widely discussed on Chinese social media.[9]
Reception
editGuancha has been referenced in academic and policy research on Chinese digital media as a significant outlet for public commentary and news aggregation.[4][10] Guancha generally reflects a pro-Chinese government political perspective.[11]: 135 Some Western media have characterized Guancha as nationalist,[12] with some academics describing it as ultra-nationalist.[13] Guancha regularly hosts essays by prominent Chinese academics and public intellectuals. For example, Fudan University professor and Xi Jinping-advisor Zhang Weiwei has published widely read commentaries on the platform that are then cited in international think-tank analysis of Chinese elite discourse.[14]
References
edit- ^ "China wants an even more dominant state monopoly on the media". Quartz. 2021-10-11. Archived from the original on 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
- ^ Langley, William; McMorrow, Ryan (2021-12-23). "Intel apologises for banning use of components from Xinjiang". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2021-12-23. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ^ "Eric Li – World Policy Conference". World Policy Conference. Archived from the original on 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
- ^ a b c "Tracing control and influence at Guancha news". Medium. 2021-05-01. Archived from the original on 2025-05-23. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
- ^ Fukuyama, Francis; Weiwei, Zhang (2011). "The China Model: A Dialogue between Francis Fukuyama and Zhang Weiwei". New Perspectives Quarterly. 28 (4): 40–67. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5842.2011.01287.x. ISSN 1540-5842.
- ^ Lu, Nanfeng; Wu, Jing (2018). "历史转折中的宏大叙事:"工业党"网络思潮的政治分析" [Grand Narrative at History's Turning Point: A Political Analysis of the Internet Ideology of China's "Industrial Party"]. 东方学刊 [Dongfang Journal] (in Simplified Chinese) (1): 49–60. ISSN 2096-5966. Archived from the original on 7 August 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- ^ Yuan, Li (2021-01-15). "As Trump Clashes With Big Tech, China's Censored Internet Takes His Side". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-12-23. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ^ "Intel faces backlash in China over stance on Xinjiang". Protocol.com. 2021-12-22. Archived from the original on 2022-11-27. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
- ^ Wang, Vivian (2024-10-31). "Can Men in China Take a Joke? Women Doing Stand-Up Have Their Doubts". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-05-11.
- ^ Rogers, Richard; Zhang, Xiaoke (2024-04-01). "The Russia–Ukraine War in Chinese Social Media: LLM Analysis Yields a Bias Toward Neutrality". Social Media + Society. 10 (2) 20563051241254379. doi:10.1177/20563051241254379. ISSN 2056-3051.
- ^ Song, Chenyang (2025). Nationalist and Popular Culture Practices on Social Media: A Digital Ethnography of Chinese Online Fandom Nationalists. Bielefeld: Transcript. ISBN 978-3-8376-7926-7.
- ^ "When China wants to be feared". The Economist. October 2, 2021. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
Guancha, a nationalist website, created a hashtag mocking the White House statement, inspiring social-media posts that have been read over 300m times.
- ^ "Republicans believe Tim Walz has been 'groomed' by China. But how does China view him?". The Conversation. August 22, 2024. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
An ultra-nationalist outlet, Guancha.cn, contacted his former Chinese colleague from Foshan, who described Walz as "very nice" and "well-liked".
- ^ "Chinese scholars highlight prolonged US-China competition". Mercator Institute for China Studies. 2024-11-04. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
External links
edit- Official website (in Chinese)