A Chinese Cyber Diaspora: Contact and Identity Negotiation on Taiwanese WoW Servers

Due to the long-delayed release of ( ) second expansion in China, many Chinese WoW rush between tens of thousands of residents of Taiwan and China, two countries whose official relationship is marked by limited contact and political tension. Instead of having short-term political discussions on online forums, Chinese and Taiwanese players are now establishing long-term relationships in ongoing game worlds. This represents a new form of virtual migration, consisting of individuals who physically exist in their home countries, but spend large amounts of time engaged in cross-border interactions in cyberspace. physical presence. and its implications, and review the characteristics of cross-Taiwan Strait interactions at various stages of this cyber-diaspora.