China-related 2022 research on digital humans and closely adjacent virtual beings presents an integrated landscape in which advances in face and body representation, reconstruction, and animation support increasingly real-time, media-facing applications, while parallel work examines social influence, cultural communication, and governance concerns. Technical studies emphasize reliable facial identity and high-fidelity three-dimensional shape capture, as well as speech- or audio-driven talking-face generation and broader pose-estimation foundations that enable embodied animation under practical capture constraints, with survey contributions clarifying persistent challenges in timing, expressivity, and robustness. At the same time, system-oriented efforts translate these capabilities into interactive presentation and communication experiences, and ecosystem analyses connect technical themes to product modularization and patent-driven competition. Applied research extends into platform-centric domains prominent in China, including virtual influencers, virtual entertainers, and virtual anchors, focusing on audience perception, authenticity, and persuasive effects, while additional human-factors and ergonomics work places virtual humans in safety-relevant communication and industrial assessment contexts. Studies in museums and cultural heritage highlight the role of virtual humans as interpretive and accessibility mediators, and critical perspectives underscore the ethical, philosophical, and regulatory implications of realism, simulation, and potential deception, reinforcing the need for transparency, accountability, and responsible deployment.
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