00:00This is Pursuit of Jade, a Chinese costume drama that hit Netflix's global top 10.
00:06And this is what it's caused.
00:13Chinese cosmetics, or sea beauty, are becoming Beijing's newest soft power export.
00:19Now Japan did it with anime, South Korea with K-pop, and China is following the same playbook.
00:26South Korea still leads with $10 billion in overseas beauty sales, but China has climbed to $5.7 billion and
00:35is closing the gap fast.
00:37Competition inside China is so brutal that brands are looking abroad to protect their margins.
00:44And unlike K-beauty, which chases American shoppers, Sea Beauty is betting on Southeast Asians.
00:50Exports there have more than doubled in five years.
00:53Online sales, including live streams and influencers, are booming.
00:58Brands are winning locally by going where Korean rivals haven't.
01:02Broader skin tone ranges and halal certified makeup for the region's 200 million Muslims.
01:10Sea Beauty doesn't need to conquer the counters in Paris.
01:13It just needs the 600 million shoppers next door.
01:16And judging by online feeds, it already has their attention.
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