China

"The entire country is becoming more closed to the world."

A glimpse into the e-commerce giant’s ruthless efficiency.

Livestream e-commerce is a $100 billion industry in China, with influencers selling everything from cosmetics to fast food.

Forgotten pop stars, former Olympians, and washed-up tech entrepreneurs are all cashing in on China’s booming livestreaming scene.

Amazon once helped China’s exporters reach a huge and lucrative audience. Now, they urgently need to wean themselves off.

“Our anger rose like a massive wave. Then it just disappeared into the ocean.”

“I need to treat them like customers, but also friends.”

Douban’s tight-knit communities have finally made it a target of Beijing’s tech crackdown.

"There is no one else we can rely on."

Some gig workers sleep on the streets to avoid lockdowns, while factory workers struggle to get by.