2026/07/30 by Xinyi Liu, Qiang Zhang, Ning An
paper · doi:10.1177/00219096261467864
crossref issued 2026/07/30 · crossref published 2026/07/30 · crossref published-online 2026/07/30 · crossref created 2026/07/30 · crossref deposited 2026/07/31 · crossref indexed 2026/07/31
This study examines representations of Africa in user-generated videos on Xiaohongshu , one of China’s leading lifestyle-sharing platforms. Drawing on critical discourse analysis of 156 short videos, it conceptualises a “horizontal gaze”: a mode of representation centred on pragmatic concerns such as work, travel, local knowledge, and everyday experience. Rather than treating Africa only as an exotic spectacle or a site of lack, this gaze presents it as a place for everyday engagement. While stereotypical images of poverty and underdevelopment remain visible, the findings suggest a shift towards more grounded and experience-based representations of Africa in Chinese digital culture.