A specialized training session on cross‑cultural digital storytelling brought together online influencers and content creators in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, on July 17, as part of a broader initiative to equip local communicators with practical skills for engaging overseas audiences.
The session, held at the Wuxi International Communication Integrated Media Center, featured Chen Jiong, a prominent Chinese social media influencer with about 3.5 million followers across overseas platforms and an annual readership exceeding 500 million. Chen shared his perspective on cross-cultural communication, framing it as a process of "encoding and decoding" — a concept he used to argue that content rooted in China's modernization achievements, delivered in a relaxed and relatable style, resonates most effectively with global audiences.
Anna Nguyen from Belarus, who lives in Wuxi, speaks at the training session. [Photo provided to en.wuxi.gov.cn]
The center also presented a case study on the overseas growth of a social media account dedicated to Wuxi's Yangshan honey peaches, a signature local agricultural product. The team behind the account has built a highly recognizable niche brand by pairing the fruit with emotionally engaging, visually compelling content.
Anna Nguyen, a Belarusian national and Wuxi resident, shared her experience running a personal account that documents daily life in the city. From practical guides for foreigners navigating local services to firsthand accounts of celebrity encounters, her content offers an unpolished, authentic window into urban life in Wuxi.
The training program was organized under Wuxi International Communication Alliance's Partner Program, launched in February by the Wuxi International Communication Integrated Media Center in collaboration with the international communication committee of the Wuxi Journalists Association.
A participant takes photos at the training session. [Photo provided to en.wuxi.gov.cn]
The program recruits a diverse range of candidates including opinion leaders from politics, business and academia; independent content creators; foreign influencers based in Wuxi; and overseas Wuxi natives — with the goal of building a broad‑based, multi‑level network of international communicators.
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