Manya Koetse

About Manya Koetse

Manya Koetse is a China expert and social trend watcher, as well as the editor-in-chief of What’s on Weibo, an internationally well-visited news site that provides insights into trending topics & digital developments in China.

She is both a sinologist and japanologist (MPhil Leiden University/Peking University), and lived for extended periods in China and Japan. During her studies in Beijing, a city that became her ‘second home,’ she became interested in the digital culture and the setup of social media in China, which have undergone a rapid transformation over the past decade.

Since then, she has closely followed Chinese trends, media, and social developments. This led her to the idea of establishing a news site that reports on what is happening among the Chinese population and how the government responds, based on China’s online world. What’s on Weibo (whatsonweibo.com) grew from a small-scale blog to an internationally well-visited website (approximately 300,000 readers per month) that is frequently cited in the media, from NOS to the New York Times.

In addition to her work as an editor and writer, Manya is now a sought-after speaker for news programs (BBC, Al Jazeera) and companies, specializing in Chinese social trends, the (online) media landscape, and culture and society.