WeChat has introduced a feature that enables brands and publishers to set their own prices for content they produce, with interested users paying directly through the platform for access. In the age of ad-blocking, could this kind of paywall encourage people to pay for what they read and watch?

Around 200 million people in China have a live-streaming account. For some, watching others’ daily existence has become a way of life, whether that’s seeing someone eat noodles or witnessing a prankster set his car alight. What’s behind this social media sensation? And why is it so addictive?

China is known for it’s tight censorship laws. And in July 2017, Justin Bieber joined the ranks of Western musicians that are no longer welcome in the country. Authorities hope that by banning the ‘controversial singer’ it can “maintain order" and "purify the Chinese performance environment.”

Despite the infamous Great Firewall, China’s netizens are outgrowing internet users across the rest of the world. But what are they spending their online lives doing in the landscape that exists beyond the Wall? And what – if anything – is the rest of the world missing out on?