Professor Haiqing Yu, an esteemed Australian Research Council Future Fellow at The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University and a leading scholar in critical media studies, delivered an engaging talk—as part of the Media, Culture and Creative Cities Speaker Series—on the role of digital transaction platforms with a specific focus on Southeast Asia.

One of the central themes of Prof Yu’s talk was her critique of Western-centric platform studies. Conceptually, she emphasised the importance of de-westernizing platform studies and advocated for developing de-China-Centric platform studies, challenging the dominance of Western narratives and recognising the pluralism of knowledge production. Empirically, her case study of TikTok in Indonesia illustrated how platform governance can be shaped by agency at the local level, balancing governance by the platform with governance of the platform. Such an example, which showcased alternative forms of platform governance, underscored the dynamic nature of digital transactions, going beyond mere economic exchanges to encompass cultural, political, and epistemological interactions that are not rooted in Western or Sinicised thought.

Prof Yu also discussed the strategic importance of Southeast Asia in the global digital economy, driven by its young, digitally-savvy population, rising incomes, and supportive policies such as tax incentives and free trade agreements within Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Moreover, Prof Yu emphasised a multi-stakeholder multilateral approach to platform governance amid ongoing great-power competition. The “double-zoning” framework she introduced distinguishes between “insiders” and “outsiders” in digital governance, highlighting how symbolic politics and cultural histories shape transaction cultures and governance systems.

In closing, Prof Yu reaffirmed that digital transactions are not merely economic activities but are embedded within broader social and political narratives. Her work calls for a nuanced understanding of how platforms are reshaping societies and how local agency can challenge dominant narratives, fostering a more pluralistic and equitable digital future in Asia.

About the series: The Media, Culture and Creative Cities Speaker Series consists of high-level seminars where we invite leading industry figures and academic speakers to HKU Sociology to share their insights into the role that media, culture and creativity plays in shaping society.