Eye on Digital China Newsletter Covers Marathon Cheating, Starbucks Xinjiang, and Kardashians
The newsletter "Eye on Digital China," authored by Manya Koetse on October 4, 2026, highlights multiple aspects of Chinese digital culture. It reveals that fitness influencer "Abeeeer" was photographed on a bicycle at the 38-kilometer point during the Berlin Marathon, leading to allegations of cheating. She issued an apology on Saturday, attributing her actions to illness. As the National Day holiday commences, Japan has dropped from the top ten destinations for Chinese tourists, with Indonesia, Turkey, and South Korea now at the forefront. On Tuesday, Japanese volleyball player Rui Takahashi publicly came out as gay, earning acclaim on Douyin. Additionally, a trending National Day essay by former Global Times editor Hu Xijin was sparked by a follow-up question from an AI chatbot.
Key facts
- The Eye on Digital China newsletter was published on Sunday, October 4, 2026.
- Chinese fitness influencer "Abeeeer" was caught cheating in the Berlin Marathon by riding a bicycle around the 38-kilometer mark.
- She apologized on Saturday, admitting to breaking rules and feeling unwell.
- Japan dropped out of the top ten outbound destinations for Chinese travelers during the October holiday, according to Tuniu.
- Indonesia, Turkey, and South Korea are among the most-booked overseas destinations.
- Japanese volleyball player Rui Takahashi came out as gay on Tuesday, praised by Chinese fans on Douyin.
- Former Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin forgot to delete an AI chatbot's follow-up question in a National Day essay, which trended before deletion.
- The newsletter is founded by Manya Koetse and powered by What's on Weibo.
Entities
Artists
- Manya Koetse
- Hu Xijin
- Rui Takahashi
- Abeeeer
Institutions
- Eye on Digital China
- What's on Weibo
- Global Times
- Tuniu
- Xiaohongshu
- Douyin
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- Xinjiang
- China
- Japan
- Indonesia
- Turkey
- South Korea