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CNA Correspondent Podcast - Can toys and companions fill China's emotional needs?

16:27 Min

China has a new buzzword: Emotional value. It is used to explain everything from blind box obsessions and AI companions to why young people are hiring strangers to climb mountains with them. In this episode of the CNA Correspondent podcast, Genevieve Woo and Correspondent Krystal Chia explore the rise of China’s emotional economy and examine what this growing search for comfort and connection reveals about modern Chinese society.

CNA Correspondent Podcast

CNA Correspondent Podcast - Can toys and companions fill China's emotional needs?

24 Jun 2026 10:22am

China has a new buzzword: Emotional value. It is used to explain everything from blind box obsessions and AI companions to why young people are hiring strangers to climb mountains with them. In this episode of the CNA Correspondent podcast, Genevieve Woo and Correspondent Krystal Chia explore the rise of China’s emotional economy and examine what this growing search for comfort and connection reveals about modern Chinese society.

CNA Correspondent Podcast

About the show:

Our host speaks to CNA correspondents on the frontlines to bring you behind the scenes of some of the biggest global news stories from Asia and the world.

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