From Rare to Common: The Live Streaming Industry of Jadeite Trade in Ruili in the China–Myanmar Borderlands

Yi Ma

Economic Anthropology, 2026, vol. 13, issue 1

Abstract: Since the early years of the 21st century, the city of Ruili has grown to be a major trade hub for Burmese jadeite on the China–Myanmar border. Starting from 2016 to 2017, Ruili's jadeite trade shifted heavily to online live streaming transactions through media platforms like Douyin, RedNote/Xiaohongshu, and Taobao/Tmall. This article showcases how the rise of a platform economy has fundamentally changed the settings of work and structures of jadeite trade in Ruili in the digital era. It investigates the inner workings of the live streaming industry and its influence on jadeite trade. I argue that the newly developed live streaming is a novel means that has transformed jadeite from previously being imagined as a rare and relatively expensive gemstone to a more affordable and common set of products in the spectrum of the digital platform economy. By focusing on the influence of the digital economy on commodities, this study showcases how digital platforms mediate expressions of power in online and offline worlds.

Date: 2026
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