JIAXING, China, Nov. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On November 8, the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS) of China International Communications Group officially released its latest research findings, The 2025 Annual Report on the Chinese Cultural Symbols International Communication Index (CSIC), at the Forum on Cultural Exchange and Development in Cyberspace during the 2025 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit. The Chinese Cultural Symbols International Communication Index series has become a flagship research product of ACCWS and has been presented at specialized forums for three consecutive years. Li Yafang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China International Communications Group and President of ACCWS, presented the report’s key findings at the event.
Li Yafang presenting the report
Li Yafang noted that the international communication of Chinese culture has demonstrated new trends on the global stage this year, with a group of representative Chinese cultural symbols continuing to gain worldwide recognition, showcasing their profound cultural heritage and contemporary vitality.
The ACCWS research team has optimized and upgraded this year’s Chinese Cultural Symbols International Communication Index model. Building on the existing dimensions of mainstream media communication index, social media communication index, and online attention, three new analytical dimensions have been added: online interaction index, international reputation, and AI large model recognition. This enables a systematic study of how Chinese cultural symbols have been communicated globally over the past year.
The report constructs a 2025 Chinese Cultural International Communication Symbols Matrix, encompassing ten major dimensions: urban culture and tourism, guochao (or China chic) and intangible cultural heritage, transliterated Chinese terms, historical mystery, Eastern fantasy, Spring Festival globalization, Chinese culinary trends, slice-of-life narratives, grassroots digital exchanges, and museum cultural and creative products. Combined with the index model, the report identifies the top 10 Chinese online pop-culture IPs of 2025, which are, in order: Labubu, Dead to Rights, Ne Zha 2, Wuthering Waves, Legend of the Female General, The Shadow’s Edge, Nobody, Master Chef, Where Winds Meet, and The Prisoner of Beauty. These span various online popular culture formats, including designer toys, films, web series, micro-dramas, video games, and animation. Additionally, the report identifies five regional cultural hotspots with international impact in 2025: the World Games igniting global sporting passion (Chengdu), a cyberpunk city where tradition meets modernity (Chongqing), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit catalyzing upgraded international urban landscapes (Tianjin), the “Jiangsu Super League” leading a new wave of mass sports and culture (Jiangsu), and “ZheBA” rising from grassroots courts to the world stage (Zhejiang).
The Forum on Cultural Exchange and Development in Cyberspace at the 2025 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit is hosted by China International Communications Group, and co-organized by China.org.cn, Tencent, and ACCWS. The forum aims to build bridges for dialogue among civilizations through cyberspace, injecting new vitality into the construction of a more open and inclusive community with a shared future in cyberspace for the digital era.
