https://www.scmp.com/rss/319456/feed Zen Soo worked at the Post from 2015 until 2019. She covered China technology, in particular e-commerce, online to offline and mobile payments. She also wrote about Southeast Asian tech companies. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Entering Huawei Technologies’ cybersecurity transparency centre in Brussels, visitors could be forgiven for thinking it is a large exhibition facility. The ground floor of this two-storey centre is replete with wood laminate flooring and clean white walls rigged with multiple screens, flashing slogans from PowerPoint slides such as “5G is a shared responsibility” and “A strong ecosystem is our best protection”. “The centre is how we demonstrate openness, where we show our security approach... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3079455/cybersecurity-top-huaweis-agenda-europe-decides-5g-infrastructure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3079455/cybersecurity-top-huaweis-agenda-europe-decides-5g-infrastructure?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2020 23:00:18 +0000 Zen Soo,Sarah Dai Zen Soo,Sarah Dai Like many Chinese entrepreneurs, Huawei Technologies’ founder Ren Zhengfei knew he would have to crack the US market before the company could truly become a global operation. Ren, who studied the management techniques of US tech giants like IBM, had been trying to make headway in the US since the early 2000s but was getting resistance from lawmakers there who viewed the company as an extension of Chinese government intelligence efforts. By January 2018 however, Huawei felt that its efforts were... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3078451/how-did-huawei-fall-foul-us-government-and-find-itself-epicentre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3078451/how-did-huawei-fall-foul-us-government-and-find-itself-epicentre?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2020 23:00:26 +0000 Consumer DNA tests have exploded in popularity in recent years, with an estimated 26 million people having taken tests from DNA kit providers. Companies like Ancestry and 23andMe promise details such as where your ancestors came from and what hereditary diseases you’re likely to contract. But for many people of East Asian background, the results from these Western-based companies can be unsatisfying. When I took a test with Ancestry three years ago, the test showed I was 99% East Asian and 1%... https://www.scmp.com/identity/chinese-dna-ancestry-test/article/3064650?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/identity/chinese-dna-ancestry-test/article/3064650?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2020 11:16:38 +0000 E-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding expects new challenges ahead, as it warned of the potential negative impact of the coronavirus outbreak to the global economy. Daniel Zhang Yong, Alibaba’s executive chairman and chief executive, described those prospects after the company reported a 58 per cent increase in profit for the quarter ended December 31, boosted by the e-commerce giant’s record sales during Singles’ Day – the world’s largest shopping festival – in November. “The [coronavirus]... https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3050521/alibaba-posts-58pc-gain-quarterly-profit-amid-slowdown-protracted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3050521/alibaba-posts-58pc-gain-quarterly-profit-amid-slowdown-protracted?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2020 12:11:36 +0000 The world’s biggest mobile phone showcase will not happen this year. The organizer of MWC Barcelona, the largest showcase for mobile technology, has canceled the event less than two weeks before its scheduled opening after major exhibitors pulled out over concerns about the coronavirus outbreak. The cancelation highlights the global ramifications of the spread of the virus as well as governments’ responses to it, including imposing restrictions on travelers from mainland China. John Hoffman,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/coronavirus-fears-lead-canceling-major-global-tech-conference/article/3050391?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/coronavirus-fears-lead-canceling-major-global-tech-conference/article/3050391?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2020 10:18:58 +0000 This year’s edition of MWC Barcelona, the world’s biggest mobile industry gathering, has been cancelled less than two weeks before its opening, devastated by the pull-out of major exhibitors over concerns about the coronavirus outbreak. “With due regard to the safe and healthy environment in Barcelona and the host country today, the GSMA has cancelled MWC Barcelona 2020 because the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible for... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3050343/mwc-barcelona-worlds-biggest-mobile-trade-show-cancelled-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3050343/mwc-barcelona-worlds-biggest-mobile-trade-show-cancelled-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Feb 2020 20:25:45 +0000 Huawei Technologies on Thursday filed a lawsuit against US mobile network operator Verizon seeking compensation for what it said were infringements of its intellectual property rights, ratcheting up legal tensions between the Chinese telecommunications giant and the US. The world's largest provider of telecoms equipment alleges that Verizon is using technology that is protected by 12 of its US patents. It said it has approached Verizon multiple times to negotiate licensing fees since February... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3049301/huawei-sue-verizon-patent-infringement-including-network-communications?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3049301/huawei-sue-verizon-patent-infringement-including-network-communications?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Feb 2020 05:53:21 +0000 China’s major smartphone companies have adjusted their preparations in Spain for the world’s biggest mobile exhibition – bringing a smaller contingent than in previous years and sending them weeks ahead of the event – as concerns rise that further restrictions might be imposed on mainland Chinese travellers because of the coronavirus outbreak. Huawei Technologies, ZTE Corp, Oppo and Xiaomi Corp are among the major Android smartphone makers expected to take part in the annual MWC Barcelona trade... https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3049230/chinas-smartphone-giants-sending-smaller-contingent-worlds-biggest-mobile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3049230/chinas-smartphone-giants-sending-smaller-contingent-worlds-biggest-mobile?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Feb 2020 14:29:49 +0000 Chinese device brands such as Lenovo, Xiaomi and Oppo are likely to face operating issues as the spread of the new coronavirus leads to manufacturing delays at factories and the temporary closure of retail stores. The deadly coronavirus, which originated in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province and has since infected over 20,000 and killed over 400, has led China to extend the Lunar New Year holiday and enforce mandatory factory shutdowns from January 31 to February 9 in an effort to contain the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3048911/chinese-device-brands-such-lenovo-xiaomi-see-manufacturing-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3048911/chinese-device-brands-such-lenovo-xiaomi-see-manufacturing-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Feb 2020 10:00:20 +0000 Chinese internet company Qihoo 360 has partnered with a Chinese tech firm to introduce a platform that lets users check if they have recently travelled with someone who contracted the new coronavirus. By entering the date of their journey, together with flight or train numbers, users can find out if they were travelling with someone who has been infected with the virus. The platform also advises those who have travelled with a person confirmed to have the virus to self-quarantine and seek... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3048232/worried-you-were-train-someone-infected-wuhan-coronavirus-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3048232/worried-you-were-train-someone-infected-wuhan-coronavirus-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jan 2020 09:30:17 +0000 Chinese tech giants including search firm Baidu and food-delivery platform Meituan have pledged millions of yuan towards medical research, supplies and support for frontline health care workers in the battle against the coronavirus epidemic. Baidu said on Sunday that it had established a 300 million yuan (US$43 million) epidemic and public health security fund to support efforts including screening and research and development (R&D) for cures of diseases such as the new coronavirus, as well as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3047760/chinese-tech-firms-pledge-millions-help-fight-wuhan-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3047760/chinese-tech-firms-pledge-millions-help-fight-wuhan-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jan 2020 09:30:06 +0000 Quek Siu Rui has not taken a holiday in nearly eight years. Since he co-founded Carousell in 2012, almost all of the 32-year-old’s free time has been devoted to thinking about what is next, he said. “I have this almost extreme view of the world where [if you do something] you've got to do it well and good. You've got to be laser-focused and almost obsessed about it.” As the face of one of Singapore’s most prominent start-ups – widely recognised as a pioneer in mobile classifieds – it comes as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-leaders-and-founders/article/3047471/carousell-ceo-quek-siu-rui-starting-singapore-based?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-leaders-and-founders/article/3047471/carousell-ceo-quek-siu-rui-starting-singapore-based?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jan 2020 22:00:15 +0000 In 2018, farmer Chen Jiubei made a business decision that would lift not just her own fortunes, but those of others in her town. It was something she stumbled upon: a relative mentioned that she had started live-streaming on e-commerce site Taobao, and while Chen said she did not know what that was, “I decided to give it a shot when I had some free time on my hands”. Her live streams of herself doing farm work, cooking meals and talking about her products proved so popular, that she racked up... https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3045550/rural-farmers-get-help-selling-produce-online-china-steps-poverty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3045550/rural-farmers-get-help-selling-produce-online-china-steps-poverty?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jan 2020 22:15:10 +0000 Chinese telecommunications gear giant Huawei Technologies is in talks with banks to raise about US$2 billion, even as the company remains on a US trade blacklist that has barred it from doing business with American companies. Huawei hopes to raise the money through loans and bond sales outside China, according to a report in The Information, which cited people familiar with the matter. How much Huawei will end up raising and how many banks will be part of the deal remains unclear. Huawei’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3045290/huawei-said-be-talks-banks-raise-us2-billion-despite-being-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3045290/huawei-said-be-talks-banks-raise-us2-billion-despite-being-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jan 2020 02:57:31 +0000 Huawei said its 2019 revenue is expected to jump 18 per cent, with numbers exceeding 850 billion yuan (US$121.6 billion) even amid a bumpy year that saw it added to a US trade blacklist. “Despite concerted efforts by the US government to keep us down, we’ve made it out the other side and continue to create value for our customers,” said Huawei rotating chairman Eric Xu in a New Year’s message to employees. “These figures are lower than our initial projections, yet business remains solid and we... https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3043955/huawei-sees-difficult-year-ahead-after-it-closes-2019-18-cent-revenue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3043955/huawei-sees-difficult-year-ahead-after-it-closes-2019-18-cent-revenue?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Dec 2019 00:50:43 +0000 For an e-commerce platform under four years old, Shopee has done pretty well for itself. Since it was established in 2015, the Singaporean e-commerce site has become the most visited across Southeast Asia, according to a recent iPrice report which also found that Shopee’s mobile app ranked at the top of its category in terms of downloads and average monthly active users in the region. One of the secrets to its success? Being “late” to the industry, according to chief commercial officer Zhou... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3043561/singapores-shopee-being-late-e-commerce-game-has-helped-its-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3043561/singapores-shopee-being-late-e-commerce-game-has-helped-its-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Dec 2019 22:30:10 +0000 With a population of 1.4 billion and its status as the world’s No 2 economy, China remains one of the biggest consumer markets in the world. Thanks to widespread mobile and online payments as well as a high smartphone penetration rate, e-commerce is also a popular way of shopping in China. However, amid slowing growth in China’s megacities, coupled with more affluent shoppers in smaller Chinese cities as well as the advent of Generation Z, some new groups have emerged in the changing consumer... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3043395/these-four-groups-chinese-shoppers-will-drive-online-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3043395/these-four-groups-chinese-shoppers-will-drive-online-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Dec 2019 11:00:08 +0000 For many of China’s technology companies, 2019 has been a rough year. Following the arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou late last year over allegations of bank fraud and her ongoing US extradition proceedings in Canada, Huawei in May was put on a US trade blacklist that bans them from doing business with US companies. Months later, some of China’s largest artificial intelligence firms such as SenseTime, Megvii and Hikvision were also added to the same blacklist amid concern in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3042454/chinas-tech-companies-have-had-rough-2019-will-us-be-long-term-loser?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3042454/chinas-tech-companies-have-had-rough-2019-will-us-be-long-term-loser?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Dec 2019 22:15:15 +0000 Alibaba and its financial arm Ant Financial announced a number of leadership changes this week, including a new chief executive for Ant Financial, as both companies look to capitalise on global opportunities. In an internal memo obtained by the Post on Thursday, Ant Financial executive chairman Eric Jing announced the appointment of Simon Hu as the company’s new chief executive, overseeing the company's digital finance and Alipay businesses amid growing domestic demand for these services in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-leaders-and-founders/article/3042751/alibabas-ant-financial-announces-new-ceo-simon-hu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-leaders-and-founders/article/3042751/alibabas-ant-financial-announces-new-ceo-simon-hu?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Dec 2019 05:36:01 +0000 Smartphone maker Xiaomi on Wednesday officially opened its second headquarters in Wuhan, the capital city of China’s central Hubei province. The building will house 10,000 employees over the next decade as the company invests more in artificial intelligence (AI) research. The new headquarters, located in the Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone, is a research and development centre for AI, internet of things, big data, software and internet entertainment. Xiaomi’s first headquarters are in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3042740/smartphone-maker-xiaomi-opens-second-headquarters-wuhan-hometown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3042740/smartphone-maker-xiaomi-opens-second-headquarters-wuhan-hometown?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Dec 2019 04:20:21 +0000 Iris Deng,Jane Zhang,Zen Soo Iris Deng,Jane Zhang,Zen Soo For China, the advent of artificial intelligence is meant to be the silver bullet that unlocks further economic growth and helps solve deep-rooted social problems, such as the uneven distribution of resources in education and health care. The targets are ambitious – by 2025 China wants wide-scale adoption of AI in manufacturing, health care, education, agriculture and national defence, and is seeking to usurp the US as global leader in AI by 2030. By some measures, China is already halfway... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3042451/china-dreams-becoming-ai-utopia-pushing-beyond-surveillance-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3042451/china-dreams-becoming-ai-utopia-pushing-beyond-surveillance-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Dec 2019 14:30:04 +0000 As an ex-McKinsey consultant and a frequent business traveller, Hongkonger Caecilia Chu was all too familiar with having to fork out foreign transaction fees on her credit card. Calculated over time, the amount could range from hundreds to even thousands of dollars. Eager to find a solution that would eliminate such fees, Chu decided to launch her own fintech start-up, YouTrip, with co-founder Arthur Mak. Specifically targeted at countries in Southeast Asia, YouTrip offers users a multicurrency... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3041739/singapores-youtrip-wants-eliminate-pesky-foreign-transaction-fees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3041739/singapores-youtrip-wants-eliminate-pesky-foreign-transaction-fees?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Dec 2019 22:30:10 +0000 Chinese social commerce platform Xiaohongshu will launch live-streaming features early next year, the latest in a stream of e-commerce sites that have implemented the feature as a way to better engage with consumers. The launch, which was announced at its recent Creators’ Day conference, comes as other prominent e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba, JD.com and Mogu have launched the feature with great success. Live-streaming is part of the growing “shoppertainment” trend in China’s e-commerce... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3041576/web-results-chinese-e-commerce-platform-xiaohongshu-jump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3041576/web-results-chinese-e-commerce-platform-xiaohongshu-jump?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Dec 2019 03:57:03 +0000 Despite being known mainly as a ride-hailing company, Grab’s transport business is no longer the key driver of its growth. With the company expanding into other services in the past few years, food and financial services now generate more than 50 per cent of the Singapore-based company’s gross merchandise volume (GMV), according to Lim Kell Jay, regional head of Grab’s food delivery service GrabFood. GMV is the total value of sales transacted across the platform. Grab, which first started out as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3041407/grab-expands-food-and-finance-its-transport-business-no-longer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3041407/grab-expands-food-and-finance-its-transport-business-no-longer?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Dec 2019 21:30:05 +0000 For years, Rueban Kumar wanted to fix his misaligned teeth, but found metal braces too much of a hassle. Clear aligners from brands such as Invisalign, which are virtually invisible when worn, cost up to US$7,000, which was outside his budget. So when he came across Zenyum, a Singapore-based start-up promising straighter teeth with clear aligners for just a third of the cost, Kumar decided to give it a try. “When I signed up, Zenyum was still pretty new and I had my reservations,” said the 27... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3040964/singapore-start-zenyum-promises-straighter-teeth-affordable-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3040964/singapore-start-zenyum-promises-straighter-teeth-affordable-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Dec 2019 22:00:17 +0000 The end of the year is a busy time for shoppers in two of the largest consumer markets in the world.  In China, consumers snap up billions of dollars of purchases on what is known as the Singles’ Day festival – effectively the country’s “Black Friday” – every year, feeding a seemingly insatiable appetite for online shopping.  They spent a record-breaking $38.4 billion on Singles’ Day, November 11, this year.  The same month, consumers in the US embarked on the yearly Black Friday shopping... https://www.scmp.com/society/6-differences-between-chinese-and-american-shoppers-black-friday-and-singles-day/article/3040725?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/6-differences-between-chinese-and-american-shoppers-black-friday-and-singles-day/article/3040725?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Dec 2019 10:39:48 +0000 The year-end period is an eventful one for shoppers in two of the largest consumer markets in the world. In China, consumers snap up billions of dollars of purchases on Alibaba’s Singles’ Day festival every year, feeding a seemingly insatiable appetite for online shopping. They spent a record-breaking US$38.4 billion on Singles’ Day, November 11, this year. (Alibaba is the owner of the South China Morning Post.) The same month, consumers in the US have been known to elbow each other and even get... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3040581/pet-food-air-fryers-and-face-massagers-what-us-and-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3040581/pet-food-air-fryers-and-face-massagers-what-us-and-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2019 23:00:18 +0000 Just over a year ago, Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer and founder Ren Zhengfei’s daughter, lived a busy life in Shenzhen, China, a southern coastal metropolis where the world’s largest telecommunications equipment company is headquartered. Meng had a packed schedule, crammed with back-to-back meetings starting at breakfast and often going long into the night. Today, her life has taken a 180-degree turn. Canadian police, at the behest of the US, apprehended Meng on charges of bank... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3040202/huaweis-meng-wanzhou-thanks-supporters-after-year-under-house?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3040202/huaweis-meng-wanzhou-thanks-supporters-after-year-under-house?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Dec 2019 11:00:09 +0000 Engineer Kuang Kaiming was assigned to a team developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology for a Shanghai start-up. The company went with two leading open-source software libraries, Google’s TensorFlow and Facebook’s Pytorch. The decision to adopt US core technology over Chinese alternatives was telling of China’s weakness in basic AI infrastructure.  Despite the country’s success in producing commercially successful AI companies, the open-source coding repositories used to build the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/chinese-artificial-intelligence-hopes-still-rely-america/article/3038924?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/chinese-artificial-intelligence-hopes-still-rely-america/article/3038924?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Nov 2019 10:04:11 +0000 When engineer Kuang Kaiming was assigned to a team developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology for a Shanghai start-up, the company went with two leading open-source software libraries, Google’s TensorFlow and Facebook’s Pytorch. The decision to adopt US core technology over Chinese alternatives was telling of China’s weakness in basic AI infrastructure, despite the country’s success in producing AI companies that are commercially successful. Kuang’s company, whose AI product detects... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3038772/chinas-reliance-us-origin-platforms-deep-learning-raises-questions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3038772/chinas-reliance-us-origin-platforms-deep-learning-raises-questions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Nov 2019 21:30:05 +0000 Singapore-based mobile classifieds company Carousell announced on Thursday that it was merging with online classifieds company 701Search in its bid to become the industry leader in Southeast Asia. The cash and equity agreement between Carousell and Telenor Group, which owned 701Search, will merge 701Search’s online marketplaces Mudah in Malaysia, Cho Tot in Vietnam and OneKyat in Myanmar with Carousell. As part of the deal, 701Search’s regional hub team that operates in Singapore will be fully... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3038696/singapores-carousell-snaps-rival-701search-it-seeks-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3038696/singapores-carousell-snaps-rival-701search-it-seeks-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Nov 2019 03:02:00 +0000 Consumers from China’s smaller cities helped lift Alibaba to a new Singles’ Day record of 268.4 billion yuan (US$38.4 billion) in sales, as the 24-hour shopping extravaganza indicated that people are still keen to spend if they find a bargain. The final tally for this year's Singles' Day compared with gross merchandise volume (GMV) of 213.5 billion yuan last year, an increase of almost 26 per cent compared with 27 per cent the year before, as buyers shrugged off the effects of a months-long... https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3037137/chinese-consumers-spend-us1-billion-first-minute-alibabas-singles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3037137/chinese-consumers-spend-us1-billion-first-minute-alibabas-singles?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Nov 2019 16:02:53 +0000 Before Singles’ Day became known as China’s biggest online shopping spree, it was simply a day on November 11 when people could celebrate being single in a society which traditionally favours couples.  Urban legend has it that Singles’ Day was invented in 1993, by four single male students in a Nanjing University dormitory – then the idea of a day for singles quickly caught on throughout campus and later spread to other universities and to society in general. Catching on to the trend, e-commerce... https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3036848/us-china-trade-war-its-16th-month-will-singles-day-shopping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3036848/us-china-trade-war-its-16th-month-will-singles-day-shopping?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Nov 2019 22:00:07 +0000 Two years ago, 33-year old Liu Lei gave up a comfortable career managing investments in a clean energy company in Shanghai to move back to her hometown of Chengdu, the capital city of China’s southwestern Sichuan province. Unlike Shanghai, a global financial centre and home to China’s biggest stock market, Chengdu was not a bustling finance hub, but Liu did not mind. She had moved back to Chengdu to start her own company Luccroi, a platform providing artificial intelligence, big data and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/innovation/article/3036413/why-chinese-cities-such-chengdu-and-wuhan-are-attracting-top-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/innovation/article/3036413/why-chinese-cities-such-chengdu-and-wuhan-are-attracting-top-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Nov 2019 23:00:08 +0000 When Renee Wang set her sights on working for Google, she quit her job at a start-up and spent the next eight months preparing for interviews and submitting multiple resumes in the hopes that it would increase her chances of landing job interviews with the search engine giant. So when Wang quit after just four years at Google, sold her apartment in Beijing and invested her savings to create podcasting app Castbox, her friends thought she was crazy to give up a job that paid well and had allowed... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3035896/how-lessons-chinese-internet-helped-castbox-ceo-build-popular?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3035896/how-lessons-chinese-internet-helped-castbox-ceo-build-popular?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Nov 2019 01:30:12 +0000 E-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding reported a 40 per cent revenue increase for the quarter ended September 30, less than two weeks before its Singles’ Day retail extravaganza is expected to attract more than 500 million shoppers for the first time. New York-listed Alibaba on Friday posted better-than-expected revenue of 119 billion yuan (US$16.6 billion) in its fiscal second quarter, up from 85.1 billion yuan a year ago. That improvement was made on the back of strong sales at its China... https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3035966/alibaba-quarterly-revenue-jumps-40-cent-ahead-singles-day-shopping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3035966/alibaba-quarterly-revenue-jumps-40-cent-ahead-singles-day-shopping?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Nov 2019 11:25:42 +0000 When Shih Choon Fong became president of the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2000, he recognised the need to produce more enterprising graduates as the internet looked to become the future. The Silicon Valley dot-com boom was in full swing, though it would soon bust and put many of the more dubious internet start-ups out of business. Still, the realisation that Singapore had few of its own start-ups led Shih to work with several other professors to launch the NUS Overseas Colleges... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3035379/top-asian-university-helped-groom-some-singapores-biggest-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3035379/top-asian-university-helped-groom-some-singapores-biggest-start?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2019 00:00:18 +0000 This week on Inside China Tech, the Post’s Zen Soo speaks with GSMA's Head of Policy for Greater China Joe Guan to find out what's the big deal about 5G and why there is a big spectrum debate going on for the next-generation mobile network. We also look at why space agencies are concerned that 5G could mess with weather forecasts, and why 5G needs to use radio frequencies that no other mobile network has ever used before. Listen and subscribe on Spotify, iTunes, and Stitcher. Produced by Yang... https://www.scmp.com/podcasts/article/3034962/inside-china-tech-leaders-tech-whats-spectrum-and-why-does-it-matter-5g?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/podcasts/article/3034962/inside-china-tech-leaders-tech-whats-spectrum-and-why-does-it-matter-5g?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2019 03:25:12 +0000 Ride hailing company Gojek said on Thursday it was still preparing for a future IPO despite a change in leadership structure after its founder and CEO Nadiem Makarim stepped down to join Indonesia president Joko Widodo’s cabinet. Makarim has helmed Gojek since 2010 and steered the firm to a US$10 billion valuation, counting Google, Tencent and JD.com among its investors. Following his departure, Gojek president Andre Soelistyo and co-founder Kevin Aluwi will become Gojek’s co-CEOs. Makarim will... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3034391/gojek-reiterates-ipo-plan-amid-leadership-change-and-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3034391/gojek-reiterates-ipo-plan-amid-leadership-change-and-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Oct 2019 07:41:44 +0000 Southeast Asia’s ride-hailing market took an interesting turn on Monday when Gojek founder and chief executive Nadiem Makarim said he has stepped down from the company to join Indonesia president Joko Widodo’s cabinet. Makarim was speaking to local reporters at Indonesia’s state palace on Monday, ahead of a cabinet announcement by Widodo, who previously indicated that he would include old hands as well as fresh faces, such as professionals and millennials, in the new cabinet. “I have received a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3033848/gojek-founder-and-ceo-nadiem-makarim-steps-down-join-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3033848/gojek-founder-and-ceo-nadiem-makarim-steps-down-join-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Oct 2019 05:37:30 +0000 It is a tantalising promise: for 449 yuan (US$64) and a saliva sample, Chinese genetic testing company 23Mofang can extract your DNA and genotype it to provide a comprehensive report that includes ancestral information, hereditary disease risks and traits like alcohol tolerance level. But what sets 23Mofang apart from other consumer genetic testing providers in the market is that it can determine if you are a descendant of ancient Chinese royalty. The company, for example, estimated that 1.81... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3033614/demand-genetic-testing-grows-china-start-23mofang-can-now-tell-if?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3033614/demand-genetic-testing-grows-china-start-23mofang-can-now-tell-if?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Oct 2019 23:00:08 +0000 In this episode, Zen Soo and Yang Yang speak to Zhou Kun, co-founder and chief executive of genetic testing start-up 23Mofang, to find out more about the fast-growing DNA-testing market in China. Zhou claims that 23Mofang is currently the largest genetic testing company in the country, having gained 500,000 users since it began selling tests in 2015. To say that the global genetic testing market has grown rapidly over the past decade is an understatement. At the start of this year, an estimated... https://www.scmp.com/podcasts/article/3033211/inside-china-tech-what-can-chinas-dna-tests-really-tell-you?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/podcasts/article/3033211/inside-china-tech-what-can-chinas-dna-tests-really-tell-you?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Oct 2019 09:46:28 +0000 Alipay, one of China’s dominant digital payments providers, has teamed up with Russian internet firm Mail.ru in an e-wallet joint venture to develop digital payments in the country. The joint venture is Alipay’s first outside Asia, where it already partners with local e-wallet providers such as Hong Kong’s AlipayHK, Indonesia’s Dana and Malaysia’s Touch ‘n Go. Alipay is operated by Ant Financial, the financial affiliate of Alibaba Group, the parent company of the South China Morning... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3032187/alipay-sets-sights-digital-payments-outside-asia-it-teams-russias?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3032187/alipay-sets-sights-digital-payments-outside-asia-it-teams-russias?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Oct 2019 23:10:04 +0000 China’s tech champions roundly denounced Washington’s move to add them to the US Commerce Department’s Entity List, which prevents them from buying US-made technology on national security grounds just as the world’s two-biggest economies are about to resume crucial trade talks. The US Commerce Department said on Monday it was putting 28 Chinese public security bureaus and companies on a US trade blacklist over Beijing’s treatment of Uygur Muslims and other predominantly Muslim ethnic... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3032026/chinese-tech-champions-denounce-us-blacklisting-foreign-ministry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3032026/chinese-tech-champions-denounce-us-blacklisting-foreign-ministry?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Oct 2019 12:30:09 +0000 After 10 years in academia, Tony Han Xu gave up a coveted tenured position as an associate professor at the University of Missouri two years ago to pursue a new path – becoming an entrepreneur. Following close to a decade of research in computer vision and deep learning, coupled with a stint as Baidu’s chief scientist for autonomous driving at a time when investors were chasing the industry, Han decided it was time to strike out on his own to build WeRide, a start-up specialising in autonomous... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3031585/why-remote-control-technology-could-be-key-moving-autonomous?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3031585/why-remote-control-technology-could-be-key-moving-autonomous?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Oct 2019 23:00:11 +0000 When Alex Zhou, chief executive of US-based e-commerce site Yamibuy, first moved in 2009 to study at a university in the Midwestern state of Kansas, he never imagined obtaining items like soy sauce or Chinese-style instant noodles would entail a two-hour drive on the Interstate-70 highway to Kansas City. He certainly wasn’t alone. Seeing friends who would drive hours every weekend to find specific Asian products, Zhou was inspired to start his own e-commerce site to sell hard-to-find Asian... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3031248/inside-china-tech-leaders-tech-yamibuys-alex-zhou-building-us100?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3031248/inside-china-tech-leaders-tech-yamibuys-alex-zhou-building-us100?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Oct 2019 07:43:57 +0000 Newcomer Meituan-Dianping may have overtaken travel specialist Ctrip in China’s hotel booking market, but Ctrip chief executive Jane Sun Jie is not concerned. “We have 10,000 engineers working behind the scenes,” Sun said in a recent interview in Singapore. “At Ctrip we think about nothing else but travel, 24/7. All of our best talent is focused on travel.” That means a company like Ctrip is solely focused on giving users the best experience and service in one area, not like platform companies... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3031095/ctrip-may-have-ceded-chinese-hotel-booking-leadership-meituan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3031095/ctrip-may-have-ceded-chinese-hotel-booking-leadership-meituan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Oct 2019 21:30:06 +0000 Today’s iPhone has 100,000 times the processing power of the Apollo computer that landed humankind on the moon 50 years ago, while costing a tiny fraction of the Nasa machine. This is down to Moore’s Law, the observation by one of the founders of Intel, a chip maker, that computing power doubles every two years. That this correlation has held for five decades helps to explain China’s position on the proverbial hamster wheel – never quite catching up in semiconductor technology. As a relative... https://www.scmp.com/tech/china-sees-chance-overtake-us-ai-chips/article/3030130?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/china-sees-chance-overtake-us-ai-chips/article/3030130?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Sep 2019 10:24:59 +0000 Today’s iPhone has 100,000 times the processing power of the Apollo computer that landed humankind on the moon 50 years ago while costing a tiny fraction of the Nasa machine. This is down to Moore’s Law, the observation by one of the founders of Intel, a chip maker, that computing power doubles every two years. That this correlation has held for five decades helps to explain China’s position on the proverbial hamster wheel – never quite catching up in semiconductor technology. As a relative... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3027775/lagging-semiconductors-china-sees-chance-overtake-us-ai-chips-5g?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/3027775/lagging-semiconductors-china-sees-chance-overtake-us-ai-chips-5g?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Sep 2019 14:00:11 +0000 On a chilly day in February 1974, seven men gathered over breakfast at a soy milk stall in Taipei to map out Taiwan’s foray into semiconductor manufacturing. In an anecdote that is now legendary, Pan Wen-yuan, who was then a US-based research director at Radio Corporation of America (RCA), advised Sun Yun-suan, the minister for economic affairs, to develop integrated circuits. It would cost $10 million and four years for the technology to take root in Taiwan, Pan said. The plan was approved, and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/how-taiwan-became-global-force-chip-production/article/3026888?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/how-taiwan-became-global-force-chip-production/article/3026888?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Sep 2019 10:58:48 +0000