Companionship economy or "peiban jingji" in Mandarin involves people forking out money for personal company - be it to talk, game, shop, or even go mountain climbing. SINGAPORE: “Any ‘pei liao’ services out there? I’m willing to fork out any amount of money,” goes a post on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu.
The industry has been on the rise as more people in the world’s second-largest economy choose to stay single or put off marriage due to reasons like changing mindsets, limited career prospects amid a hyper-competitive job market and a stuttering economy. He would often take requests from women, though there were occasional enquiries from men. Mr Sun would charge 180 yuan an hour and was also required to have his camera switched on.
The 27-year-old’s venture into “cosplay commission” started in 2023 after she became a fan of Shen Xinghui, also known as Xavier, from the popular Chinese mobile game Love and Deepspace. As part of the commission, Ms Lin takes on the persona of the character she’s cosplaying during the chats. University student Fu Fu , who studies in Shaanxi province, pays for “pei wan”, or online gaming companions.
“They will split up if the activity does not interest them, with a strong awareness of their personal spaces.”It was 3am on a Monday when I sought out my first conversation companion - for work, of course, at the instruction of my editors to try it out. The reviews were glowing, with many praising the “jiejie” or “gege” - big sister and big brother respectively in Mandarin - for listening to their troubles and conversation skills. Many also praised the partners for their “wonderful voices”.I wasn’t sure if “pei liao” partners were available in the wee hours, so I asked: “Hello, it’s late but I was wondering if anyone is available to chat?”
At the highest “koi” tier, a 15-minute text session costs 60 yuan and a five-hour voice/video call session goes for a cool 1,080 yuan. I told Tou Sheng I wanted to vent my frustrations about an interview I conducted as part of work. She was patient and listened to how I did not feel respected during the interview - especially when the other party was someone I admired.
Soon, our time was up. However, unlike Tou Sheng, Lan An simply went quiet after I sent my goodbye text. No goodbye or encouraging words as a parting message. “The Internet provides a virtual space for social interaction, which can be particularly appealing given the pressures they face in their studies and careers,” she added.
Searches for “pei liao” and “pei wan” on Taobao turned up many listings from shops offering companions to play video games with or simply to chat. The companionship-offering youths that CNA spoke to agreed that money was the driving factor for them offering their services. But they pointed out that it’s no walk in the park.
“The stress on my mental health was too great, and I just couldn’t take it anymore … it was terrifying,” he said. Searches for “pei liao” on Taobao turned up many listings from shops offering companions to chat with at any time of the day. “During the date itself, I have to take care of the girl, such as carrying her things or opening the car door for her. And if the girl likes flowers, I will buy a bouquet for her and hold that for her too.
More efforts need to be made to improve service quality, regulate the sector and protect consumers’ rights, stated a September 2023 report by state news agency Xinhua. Ms Fu, the university student, also had several unpleasant encounters when she was in high school. She was looking for conversation companions at the time due to relationship troubles.According to Ms Fu, people who took up “pei liao” requests were simply interested in flirting. “ just wanted to say some cheesy picky lines or even talk about sensitive topics.”
The report found that while it was clearly stated that users must be 18 years and above when they sign up, along with real ID verification, there were many underaged youths providing “pei wan” services. Professor Wang Sixin from the Communication University of China in Beijing argued that two issues required attention - preventing youths from getting involved in sexual exchanges while joining pei wan activities, and being wary of the amount of “potentially polluting information” - alluding to harmful online content like cyber-bullying and sexual content.