Friday September 20th, CSCC had the pleasure of welcoming Professor Wanning Sun from the University of Technology, Sydney. Sun presented on one of the most pressing topics facing international Chinese communities: technology and identity. Through this discussion, Sun illuminated the current face of Chinese transnationalism and provided explanations and case studies to exemplify the growing importance of technology in overseas Chinese communities. Although most of Sun’s empirical work has been completed in Australia, she believes that similar phenomena exist in other parts of the world, including the U.S.
Professor Sun’s research mainly explores the idea of Chinese transnationalism. Transnationalism, as Sun describes it, exists in three places: the expats' home nation, which gives them their identity, the country they’ve moved to, which provides them their rights, and the transnational space, which provides area for political and social action between the two identities. The idea of Chinese transnationalism, in particular, has traditionally shaped the four regimes of transnational life: family, capitalist, workplace, and state. Sun claims, however, new global contexts require shifts in this framework. Namely, demographic changes from Cantonese-speaking to Mandarin-speaking populations, new geopolitical tensions have changed perceptions of Chinese immigrants, and the usage of social media, namely WeChat, have all changed the Chinese transnational space.
Sun notes that WeChat, although not often mentioned as a part of the transformation of Chinese transnationalism, has had a significant impact on the Chinese transnational space. While there have traditionally been six forms of media in the Chinese transnational space (Cantonese media, PRC migrant print media, PRC migrant online media, PRC State Chinese media, Mainstream English Language media, and multicultural media service), PRC migrant online media in particular has flourished amid the growing social media landscape. In Sun’s research she finds many compelling cases regarding the use of WeChat and online media in the Chinese transnational space.
Chinese micro-entrepreneurship is flourishing via WeChat with growing rideshare businesses, resale shops, and opinion leaders, who appeal to Chinese communities abroad and domestically. During the 2020 Australian election, WeChat was used as a space for civil learning among Chinese Australians. During Covid, WeChat was used in Italy and Australia as a community support network and in France as a medical advice forum. Sun’s research points towards WeChat not just being a place for social interaction, but a place for deep and tangible social and communal involvement that extends beyond the Chinese community. However, due to the increasingly turbulent nature of Chinese foreign relations and perceptions, many concerns have been raised regarding the use of Chinese social media and apps, especially WeChat. Particularly the issues of national security, privacy, surveillance, and CCP controlled content distribution have made WeChat the target of numerous political attacks including attacks from United States President Donald Trump in 2020.
While there ended up being no follow up to the WeChat ban in the U.S., the same can’t be said for another app. As legal battles for TikTok proceed, many wonder what the future could hold for other Chinese apps like Little Red Book (小红书) and Wechat. Could WeChat be next? While both apps have ties to the CCP, it’s unclear whether that’s enough for a target to be put on WeChat. The app hosts significantly less U.S. users than TikTok and hasn’t planted nearly as large of a seed in U.S. popular culture. While there are no current plans for banning WeChat, Sun's research points out that policy-makers need to consider more than just security in their regulations on Chinese apps, they more than ever need to consider the communities using those apps.