Remember when the term “pink dollar” was first coined? It was one of the buzz phrases of the 1990s: a time of much change with regard to views on homosexuality in many countries. Lesbians were snogging on TV for the first time in Britain. In 1994, Australia passed a human rights act that finally scrapped the banning of gay sex. Meanwhile, there was a tornado of media coverage around the world of this “pink dollar”, as companies realised that a more open LGBT demographic was something they could lucratively market to.

Twenty years later, China is finally sparking its own pink dollar moment. Last month China Daily, the state-run newspaper, ran a feature with the headline, “‘Pink Economy’ set to soar as companies target LGBT community”. It claimed the country’s estimated 70 million LGBT people represent a market worth $300bn per year. In comparison, according to Witeck Communications, a company specialising in analysing the LGBT market, the US equivalent is worth $790bn a year.