bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Iris Deng

Yingzhi Yang

As WeChat turned eight years old this month, China’s most popular mobile app is facing mounting complaints about its monopolistic behaviour, which has stifled competition in the world’s second largest economy.
The Tencent Holdings-operated super app, which now counts more than 1 billion active users and is known as Weixin on the mainland, has become such an indispensable online platform that internet companies introducing competing social media products use it to reach and sign up potential new subscribers.
On Saturday, WeChat called out rival platforms – including ByteDance-owned news aggregator Jinri Toutiao as well as short video apps Huoshan and Xigua, and NetEase Cloud Music, operated by video games competitor NetEase – for luring its users to share external links through promotions like cash rewards and virtual gifts, which it said has disrupted the platform’s group chats and Moments social sharing function.
Tencent says criticism of its dominance in social media is ‘groundless’ after its WeChat app blocks three rivals
WeChat moved to ban such links based on rules “expressly prohibiting external links that entice the users to share”, according to a statement from the social media platform’s management.
The restriction was even applied to ride hailing service Didi Chuxing, in which Tencent has a stake, and e-commerce services provider JD.com, which WeChat also cited for violating its rules. Non-promotional links, however, remained accessible to all WeChat users.
While the ban covered other platforms under Tencent’s vast ecosystem, it sparked criticism of WeChat’s dominance in China, home to the world’s largest internet population and biggest smartphone market.
That criticism has come amid the recent scrutiny of WeChat by government censors. The super app’s content ecosystem, which allows brands, organisations and bloggers to set up public accounts and post articles, audio, photos and videos for their followers, has been one of the targets of a “clean up” amid the tightening of online content by China’s internet watchdog.


“The abuse of market dominance, or monopoly, will damage the rights of the users and affect the healthy development of the industry,” Li Liang, vice-president of Beijing-based ByteDance, wrote on the company’s social media site Wei Toutiao on Sunday, as he compared WeChat’s position to a monopoly of utilities such as water and electricity.
Li’s post followed last week’s move by Tencent to disable the WeChat login for users of ByteDance-owned short video app Douyin, known as TikTok outside China, without any explanation.
Tencent declined to comment on the accusations about WeChat’s monopolistic behaviour.
ByteDance did not offer further observations about the matter. Didi also declined to provide a statement.
NetEase did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comments.
Inside China Tech: WeChat changes focus, new social media players and short video’s rise and rise
Criticism about WeChat’s anti-competitive stand snowballed earlier this month after it blocked links to three new social media apps – Matong, Duoshan and Liaotianbao – from opening within the platform. Those links were banned for “containing unsafe content and receiving user complaints”, according to Tencent.
Despite being blocked on WeChat, Duoshan achieved 1 million downloads in the first 24 hours of the launch, thanks to the 250 million user base of sister app Douyin, according to Duoshan product manager lead Xu Luran.
“WeChat doesn’t have to see us as a direct rival because we are doing different things,” said Chen Lin, chief executive of ByteDance news aggregation unit Jinri Toutiao, at the Duoshan press conference earlier this month.
Luo Yonghao, founder of Chinese smartphone maker Smartisan and a backer of Kuairu Technology which owns Liaotianbao, addressed the issue directly during the product launch with a tagline that asked: “WeChat, can we chat?”.
Tencent takes big step to free WeChat from smartphones as battle shifts to business customers and self-driving cars
Luo, however, said the problem was caused by the business environment in China, rather than by the actions of WeChat or Tencent. “Because of the gap between us and developed countries on anti-monopoly laws and unfair competition, such incidents happen every day,” Luo said at the launch. China had established an anti-monopoly law in 2008.
“Based on the current anti-monopoly law, WeChat’s behaviour of blocking competitors is very unlikely to be deemed illegal,” said Hou Songtao, a partner at the Guangdong Yandao Law Firm.
Hou said the gist of the Chinese anti-monopoly law is that it is illegal for a dominant player in an industry to use its leverage to reduce charges to customers as a means of competing against
its rivals.
WeChat head Allen Zhang enjoys rock star fandom but all eyes are on next act for China’s everyday app
“WeChat has been free from day one,” Hou said. “I think what WeChat does shouldn’t be encouraged because it will defeat innovation.”
“The difference between the US and China essentially boils down to their laws,” he said. “China still has not updated the relevant laws to keep pace with the fast-changing business environment.”
The antitrust laws in the West has held internet companies accountable for thwarting rivals. European Union antitrust regulators last year slapped Google with a US$5 billion fine for abusing its market dominance, forcing manufacturers to pre-install its search engine and Chrome browser, and blocking use of rival operating systems to Android. Google filed an appeal to challenge that ruling in October.
How WeChat became China’s everyday mobile app
In China, the internet industry is dominated by search engine operator Baidu, video games and social media powerhouse Tencent, and e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding, which owns the South China Morning Post.
“All Chinese tech giants are like paving roads – Baidu set up tolls to charge passengers, Tencent constructed entertainment stations, Alibaba built shopping malls, and WeChat installed blockades wherever it wanted as a means to establishing its own dense network of roads,” said Xie Pu, founder of tech website Techy Crab.
Xie said WeChat does not have the right to decide on its users’ behalf what kind of content they can and cannot see. “It’s unfair for WeChat to be the judge and a player in the game at the same time.”


Can WeChat defend its social media predominance by blocking its competitors?

WeChat, the Tencent Holdings-operated super app, counts more than 1 billion active users and has become such an indispensable mobile platform that internet companies looking to introduce competing social media products must rely on it to reach and sign up potential new subscribers. Photo: Shutterstock

Tech

Big Tech

Business

China Business


The Tencent-owned super app turned eight years old this month amid criticism about its monopolistic behaviour

