2026 China Internet Civilization Conference: Foreign voices share stories of real, connected China

The International Exchange and Mutual Learning of Internet Civilization Forum, a sub-forum under the 2026 China Internet Civilization Conference, was held Tuesday afternoon in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The event brought together representatives from major Chinese internet companies, international journalists, content creators and policymakers to discuss how digital platforms and storytelling can promote cross-cultural understanding and people-to-people connectivity in today's online world.

The International Exchange and Mutual Learning of Internet Civilization Forum, a sub-forum under the 2026 China Internet Civilization Conference, is held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on May 19, 2026. [Photo by Zhang Yuxin/China.org.cn]

From "China Travel" to "Becoming Chinese," and from "C-dramas" to "Chinamaxxing," a growing wave of online trends have brought contemporary Chinese culture and lifestyles into the global spotlight. Against this backdrop, representatives from Chinese digital platforms including Tencent, Xiaohongshu, Bilibili and miHoYo discussed how digital platforms are helping overseas audiences engage with China in more direct, personal and interactive ways. Through short videos, livestreams, gaming communities and user-generated content, internet platforms are giving overseas audiences a more direct and personal window into everyday life in China.

Alongside discussions on digital platforms and online culture, some of the forum's most moving moments came through personal stories shared by journalists and content creators whose lives have been shaped by cross-cultural encounters.

Tudor Bentley Finneran (C), along with other "Online Dandelion" award recipients, on stage during the International Exchange and Mutual Learning of Internet Civilization Forum, in Nanning on May 19, 2026. [Photo by Zhang Yuxin/China.org.cn]

Tudor Bentley Finneran, a British journalist with China.org.cn and recipient of the "Online Dandelion" award, which recognizes communicators promoting positive online exchanges and cross-cultural understanding, spoke about how language and storytelling can help bridge cultural differences and foster deeper understanding between people.

"Language is never just a tool, it is a lens that shapes understanding," he said. By presenting stories about poverty alleviation, opening up and ordinary life in conversational English, he said, international communication can move beyond headlines and help overseas audiences see "the warmth and logic of a living civilization."

Fang Haoming, a journalist from China-Arab TV, speaks during the International Exchange and Mutual Learning of Internet Civilization Forum, in Nanning on May 19, 2026. [Photo by Zhang Yuxin/China.org.cn]

Fang Haoming, a journalist from China-Arab TV, shared how he came to China with his family 15 years ago after spending part of his childhood amid conflict in the Middle East. 

"War makes you feel peace is something stolen," he said. "But during my years in China, I realized peace should be the normal state of life."

Growing up in Ningxia, Fang said he was moved by the warmth and kindness of ordinary Chinese people, experiences that later inspired him to become a journalist telling stories about China through his own lens. Today, his videos and reports have spread widely online, attracting a massive audience worldwide.

Equally moving was the story shared by a cross-cultural couple documenting life in rural China through short videos. Menas, an Italian woman who settled in rural Guangxi after marrying her Chinese husband, Canon, described how she gradually learned to drive a tractor, plant rice, speak Zhuang dialect greetings and adapt to village life in Mashan county. 

What began as simple videos documenting their daily life in the countryside unexpectedly resonated with audiences online. "People saw a real Chinese countryside," the couple said, "but also the beauty of different civilizations meeting each other."

Canon and Menas speak during the International Exchange and Mutual Learning of Internet Civilization Forum, in Nanning on May 19, 2026. [Photo by Zhang Yuxin/China.org.cn]

The forum also witnessed the launch of the China-ASEAN Business Information Platform. 

The 2026 China Internet Civilization Conference is being held from May 19-20 in Nanning to promote the building of a healthy and civilized cyberspace.