Zhang Yuying (centre) attending a dance class at the Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College in Yiwu, in Zhejiang Province. Hordes of Chinese millennials are speaking directly to the country's 700 million smartphone users, streaming their lives to lucrative effect, fronting brands and launching businesses. They are known locally as "wanghong". Photo: AFP Zhang Yuying (centre) attending a dance class at the Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College in Yiwu, in Zhejiang Province. Hordes of Chinese millennials are speaking directly to the country's 700 million smartphone users, streaming their lives to lucrative effect, fronting brands and launching businesses. They are known locally as "wanghong". Photo: AFP
Zhang Yuying (centre) attending a dance class at the Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College in Yiwu, in Zhejiang Province. Hordes of Chinese millennials are speaking directly to the country's 700 million smartphone users, streaming their lives to lucrative effect, fronting brands and launching businesses. They are known locally as "wanghong". Photo: AFP
Laura He
Opinion

Opinion

Across The Border by Laura He

How young internet ‘celebrities’ are driving online retail

Internet starlets – sometimes catwalk models, or what are being referred to as ‘Wanghong’ – are believed to have generated US$8.68b in sales in 2016, US$1.5b more than China’s total box office

Laura He
Laura He

Updated: 10:31pm, 14 Aug, 2017

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Zhang Yuying (centre) attending a dance class at the Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College in Yiwu, in Zhejiang Province. Hordes of Chinese millennials are speaking directly to the country's 700 million smartphone users, streaming their lives to lucrative effect, fronting brands and launching businesses. They are known locally as "wanghong". Photo: AFP Zhang Yuying (centre) attending a dance class at the Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College in Yiwu, in Zhejiang Province. Hordes of Chinese millennials are speaking directly to the country's 700 million smartphone users, streaming their lives to lucrative effect, fronting brands and launching businesses. They are known locally as "wanghong". Photo: AFP
Zhang Yuying (centre) attending a dance class at the Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College in Yiwu, in Zhejiang Province. Hordes of Chinese millennials are speaking directly to the country's 700 million smartphone users, streaming their lives to lucrative effect, fronting brands and launching businesses. They are known locally as "wanghong". Photo: AFP
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Laura He

Laura He

Laura covers capital markets and financial affairs in Hong Kong and China, including major IPOs, corporate finance, investment banking, and equity markets, with an eye on technology and innovation for the Post. Previously, she'd worked for MarketWatch and The Wall Street Journal Digital Network in San Francisco and Hong Kong. She has also worked for Forbes in San Francisco and had stints at Xinhua News Agency as economics editor, anchor and financial correspondent in both Beijing and Hong Kong. She has an MA degree in digital journalism from Stanford University and passed CFA exams.