Uygur faces are finding their way to movie screens, phones, and billboards across China. Members of the ethnic minority group have facial features that Chinese brands have deemed “attractive,” creating opportunities for talented Uygurs to break into the entertainment business as singers, models and TV stars.
One of the most famous Uyghur stars may be Dilraba Dilmurat, an actress who starred in the popular series “Swords of Legends”, and who played the lead role in the drama “The King’s Woman.” Fellow Uyghur actress Gulnezer Bextiyar was recently named a Fendi brand ambassador – the first Chinese ambassador for the luxury brand.
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Uyghur model Parwena Dulkun has found success with brands in China
According to survey data from McKinsey, the "Generation 2" group of Chinese consumers are the most Westernized to date / source: McKinsey
Dilraba Dilmurat
Gulnezer Bextiyar
Like other Uygurs, both Dilraba and Gulnezer hail from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Located at the northwest edge of China, the region is home to the largest population of Uygurs. The ethnic group has Turkic roots and speak a language that’s more similar to Turkish than Mandarin. Their script is derived from Arabic and their physical appearances resemble central Asians more than the Han ethnic majority that make up China.
Dilraba Dilmurat
Gulnezer Bextiyar
Demand for men and women who share the same Eurasian characteristics as Gulnezer have been on the rise lately according to Dengyang Liu, founder of Fun Models, an online platform that connects models, actors and photographers to Chinese clients. Though he cautions that Han Chinese still far outnumber the number of Uygur models, many of his Chinese clients are “looking for a face that have some Asian characteristics, but also have some kind of white Europeanness to it.”
Uyghur model Parwena Dulkun has found success with brands in China
Parwena Dulkun
What’s driving this demand? For Dengyang, it’s nothing new. He likens it to patterns he’s seen in other Asian countries, especially as cities become increasingly cosmopolitan. “Hong Kong, Taiwan, S. Korea, even Thailand…basically, faces with mixed Eurasian features were used as a symbol[s] of a changing fusion trend in aesthetic standards,” says Dengyang.
Gulnezer Bextiyar
Gulnezer Bextiyar
The power of the purse
In many ways, the shift in beauty standards correlates to a rise in purchasing power. Increased disposable income is a calling card for international brands looking to take advantage of the new market. The brands bring their own standards for beauty, revealing the Western bias in defining beauty, even in local cultures.
China’s first-tier cities have grown at breakneck speed in the past few decades, creating a new generation of Chinese with disposable income and increasing exposure to international standards of beauty. Consulting firm McKinsey has dubbed this new middle class “Generation 2." Born during China’s period of economic reform and opening up to the world, this generation accounted for nearly 15 percent of urban consumption in 2012. This number is expected to rise to 35 percent in 2022.
According to survey data from McKinsey, the "Generation 2" group of Chinese consumers are the most Westernized to date / source: McKinsey
A 2012 McKinsey survey of this group found that “this generation of Chinese consumers is the most Westernized to date.” In terms of consumption habits, Generation 2 respondents were more likely to be loyal to brands, view expensive items as “better”, and get satisfaction out items that signify better taste or higher status.
As this generation’s spending habits mirror those found in the West, foreign faces have also become more common in Chinese media. Chinese audiences are accustomed to seeing “more international-themed faces or stories… even the 'zhibo' video stuff that’s been popular in China in the past two years,” says Dengyang.
Dilraba Dilmurat
Dilraba Dilmurat
We don’t have to look far to see other examples of the same experience. In the past four decades, S. Korea has seen explosive growth, joining the trillion-dollar club of world economies in 2004.
The 1990s spawned K-pop, one of the most influential factors in shaping the country’s beauty standards. As Patricia Marx from the New Yorker puts it, the K-pop phenomenon “shapes not only what music you should listen to, but what you should look like while listening to it.”
Many of the K-pop stars share similar characteristics: fair skin, double eyelids and a small face. Koreans go to great lengths to replicate these looks, as the country has one of the highest rates of plastic surgery in the world. Though some argue that these procedures produce beauty results that are universally appealing, these are also the same beauty standards that dominant Western culture.
Dilraba Dilmurat
Dilraba Dilmurat
Dilraba Dilmurat
Dilraba Dilmurat
Gulnezer Bextiyar
Gulnezer Bextiyar
Gulnezer Bextiyar
Parwena Dulkun
Parwena Dulkun
Parwena Dulkun
Parwena Dulkun
Parwena Dulkun
As a member of the GoGlobal Task Force, which assists Mainland enterprises in entering the global market, Deloitte has shared its experience and insights on companies' cross-border market expansion with Bastille Post. Mr. Edward Au, the Deloitte China Southern Region Managing Partner, expressed at the interview that Hong Kong can be regarded as the best testing ground for Mainland enterprises to go global. Through the window of Hong Kong, Mainland enterprises can gain access to international regulations. Over the years, Deloitte China has witnessed many successful examples of Mainland enterprises entering the global market through Hong Kong.
Mr. Edward Au, the Deloitte China Southern Region Managing Partner (left) and Mr. Allen Wong, the Deloitte China Hong Kong Business Managing Partner (right), Photo by Bastille Post
Mr. Au said that the main pain points for Mainland enterprises to go global are, first of all, their unfamiliarity with overseas regulations, such as which countries and regions can offer preferential policies, the feasibility of the market in different countries, etc. Deloitte can assist Mainland enterprises in being acquainted with relevant information and choosing the appropriate market to start business.
Second, their adaptation to the compliance with overseas regulations, which encompasses both financial and operational aspects. For instance, European ESG regulations, carbon reduction requirements, etc. Moreover, the issue of handling cultural differences is also crucial. For example, every industry in Europe and America has its own union. Knowing the right path of handling such issues has a significant impact on the enterprise's possibility of entering the global market.
He said that after Mainland enterprises successfully listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the funds they have raised can be reserved in Hong Kong, bringing about the convenience of the free flow of funds. In addition, since Hong Kong is a platform for contacting international investors as well as a region that practices common law and shares numerous cultural similarities with the Chinese Mainland, it can be an ideal first stop for Mainland enterprises to go global.
Mr. Edward Au, the Deloitte China Southern Region Managing Partner, Photo by Bastille Post
A Battery Manufacturer Successfully Raised Funds in Hong Kong and Built Factories Overseas
Deloitte has cited several examples of enterprises' success in going global. First is a battery manufacturer that has expanded its market in the Middle East and Africa through Hong Kong. As a secondary listed company in Hong Kong in 2025, the enterprise raised funds to build battery factories in emerging markets. In 2024, the enterprise established an investment fund in Hong Kong to invest in global battery projects, demonstrating Hong Kong's role as an international investment platform. Moreover, the enterprise has also utilized Hong Kong's trade finance services to manage the supply chain capital requirements purchased from Africa, and taken advantage of Hong Kong's legal framework to sign cooperation agreements with enterprises from other countries.
A Fintech Company Expanded Business in 50 Countries from Hong Kong
Second, a fintech company has successfully obtained cross-border fintech licenses in Southeast Asia and the Middle East after establishing a collaboration with supervisory authorities in Hong Kong in 2024. In the future, it aims to further expand the market in Europe and Latin America. Besides, the enterprise has build a collaboration with financial institutions in Hong Kong in payment platform to provide multi-currency payment solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises. Through the platform advantage of Hong Kong, the enterprise has expanded its digital payment to 50 countries. Mr. Au said that Hong Kong's regulatory standards and its advantage of being in line with global market have established credibility for the enterprise.
A Tech Tycoon Built Its Data Center in Hong Kong to Expand Overseas Business
Third, a Mainland tech tycoon that plans to develop global cloud service and artificial intelligence, established a regional data center in Hong Kong in 2024 to focus on the management of cross-border data security. The tycoon has not only leveraged the innovation and technology ecosystem in Hong Kong to support its AI and cloud services in expanding into the markets of European, Middle Eastern and Latin America, but also collaborated with universities and research institutions in Hong Kong to utilize Hong Kong's intellectual property framework to apply for patent protection for their technologies in overseas markets in the aspect of AI technology.
An Electric Vehicle Manufacturer Utilized Hong Kong's Geographical Advantage to Enhance Export Efficiency
An electric vehicle manufacturer has made good use of Hong Kong's geographical advantage to simplify the export process of electric vehicles and related battery products to Southeast Asia and the Belt and Road countries, successfully enhancing the supply efficiency of its international market. In addition, the manufacturer has also utilized Hong Kong's role as an international financial center to obtain international capital.
The "HK LEAP" Strategy Aims to Promote the Transformation of Hong Kong's Economy
Deloitte announced the "Hong Kong Leap" strategy earlier in 2025, investing 500 million HKD to promote Hong Kong's economic transformation and planning to hire 1,000 talents in the coming years. One of the strategy's key focusing points is the development of artificial intelligence to assist enterprises in their AI transformation. Besides, Deloitte believes that inter-disciplinary talents with multiple capabilities would be the wealth that Hong Kong needs in the future. The policies of the government will be conducive to attracting various talents to Hong Kong.
Mr. Allen Wong, the Deloitte China Hong Kong Business Managing Partner, said that 2025 policy address proposed the aim of turning Hong Kong into a "super connector" and a "super value-adder" between the Mainland and the rest of the world as well as building the city into an international financial center and an international innovation center, which would be a development opportunity for Deloitte. Taking this into consideration, Deloitte has planned to invest 500 million HKD in related strategic deployments. As for the strategy plan, the 500 million HKD investment and 1,000 positions will mainly be allocated in three aspects: 1. Artificial intelligence, 2. Financial technology, 3. Capital market.
Mr. Allen Wong, the Deloitte China Hong Kong Business Managing Partner, Photo by Bastille Post
Committed to Assisting Clients in Their AI Transformation
In terms of artificial intelligence, Deloitte would mainly focus on assisting clients in their AI transformation. Mr. Wong stated that many enterprises are aware that AI can enhance efficiency and reduce efforts, but they are unsure how to use it efficiently. As for such a condition, Deloitte will assist clients in their AI transformation, including structural transformation. Currently, one of the obstacles for enterprises to use AI is the structural problem: How can AI and humans cooperate with each other? Nowadays, the application of artificial intelligence is still rather superficial, such as asking some questions to the AI. However, what AI can actually do is far more than that. For instance, AI can be utilized to assist enterprises in earning more money and improving their income statements. He believed that Hong Kong could achieve more fruit in the application of AI. Therefore, Deloitte has established an AI institution to study cases of enterprises using AI and provide feasible solutions to clients. Mr. Wong disclosed that Deloitte has provided artificial intelligence service assistance to dozens of clients up to now.
As for fintech. He said, in the aspects of Stablecoins, RWA (Real-World Assets), etc., Deloitte will formulate fintech strategies for different enterprises and institutions, including applying for licenses and due diligence, conducting independent evaluations. In the eyes of Mr. Wong, fintech would be an important factor for promoting future development.
As for the capital market, Deloitte would focus on the aspect of initial public offering (IPO), which is a field where a large number of talents would be needed, according to Mr. Wong.
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Up to now, Deloitte has accumulated a considerable number of related cases. Mr. Wong said that Deloitte's work in the above three aspects is not starting from scratch, but has a certain foundation instead. What Deloitte aims to conduct in the future is to transform the existing resources into a more systematic layout.
He stated that Deloitte has established partnerships with many institutions all along. Considering the geopolitical challenges Hong Kong is facing nowadays, Deloitte is collaborating with Standard Chartered to study how to rebalance clients' investment portfolios. In terms of family offices, Deloitte is cooperating with Bloomberg to obtain the newest information. As for the cooperation with the government, Deloitte has established a partnership with the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) to assist in attracting foreign enterprises to Hong Kong and bringing in more partners in different fields.
