China’s new generation, those born between 1995 and 2009, are reshaping how value, identity, and culture are expressed through consumption. Drawing on the 2025 New Generation Panorama Report, this newsletter explores how these digital natives live, spend, work, and dream; and what brands must do to stay relevant in a market defined by rationality, emotion, and individuality.

China's drinking habits are undergoing a profound reset. Based on insights from the 2025 Whisky L! Annual Report , this newsletter explains why alcohol sales are softening, how young consumers are redefining drinking culture, and what this means for brands navigating the new reality.

In an exclusive column for DFNI, Subramania Bhatt, Chief Executive Officer of China Trading Desk, looks at the impact of the current strain on China and Japan’s diplomatic relations on travel retail, and why an “accelerated rebalancing” is in order

China’s Double 11 is entering a new era where rational, value-driven shoppers and AI-powered retail ecosystems reshape the rules. Insights from Zhihu and Syntun’s 2025 reports revealed how “new essentials”, smarter consumption, and intelligent platforms are redefining China’s biggest shopping festival. Consumers now buy for practicality, emotion, and self-expression, while AI and emerging tech shape smarter, more efficient shopping journeys.

China social media trends this week: worsening safety concerns in Japan, Chinese travellers pivoting to Russia and Southeast Asia, deadly attacks and accidents abroad, China’s 2027 consumption roadmap, surging gold prices, Gansu and Kunming in the spotlight, China–Tonga diplomacy, Thailand’s historic floods, US aviation security scares, and Zhihu debates on Japan dependency, overseas creator risks, and falling Moutai prices.

Bookings by Chinese tourists for trips to Japan in December were 35 per cent lower than in October, with cancellations continuing, said Subramania Bhatt, CEO of travel marketing and technology firm China Trading Desk.

Subramania Bhatt, chief executive of the travel marketing and technology firm China Trading Desk, told This Week in Asia that new bookings from China to Southeast Asia, namely Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, were running at about 15 to 20 per cent above their average weekly level from August to September.

Just as a complex jigsaw puzzle requires aligning both the main pieces (visa policy) and the edge pieces (connectivity, safety, social media presence) simultaneously to reveal the full picture, India must address infrastructure and image barriers alongside the visa changes if it hopes to connect successfully with the vast potential of the Chinese outbound tourist market.

Chinese travel firms have seen a surge in Russia-related bookings in recent weeks, as tourists continue to avoid Japan amid a diplomatic row