https://www.scmp.com/rss/323854/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Southeast Asia has long been viewed as a follower when it comes to developing technology, but in recent years, home-grown tech companies have begun to mushroom. Here are some of the brightest hopes among the region’s deep tech start-ups that have maintained – at least until now – a relatively low profile. ELSA SPEAK (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, VIETNAM) This mobile app helps non-native English speakers improve pronunciation using AI technology. Users interact with a virtual assistant named ELSA... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2152958/13-southeast-asian-tech-firms-watch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2152958/13-southeast-asian-tech-firms-watch?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Jun 2018 01:33:31 +0000 Charles Guinot’s journey to building a multimillion-dollar business started ordinarily enough. He was at a conference in China in 2015 when he first had an idea on how to use blockchain technology to solve his “painful” problem of filing taxes in Indonesia. To turn this idea into reality, the then 30-year-old robotics engineer from France decided to reprogram himself to become a blockchain developer because such developers were practically unheard of at the time. His intensive self-study paid... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2153156/fighting-cancer-singapore-eating-plastic-indonesia-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2153156/fighting-cancer-singapore-eating-plastic-indonesia-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Jun 2018 00:00:15 +0000 It is hard to say if Sachaknisay Sov is rich or poor. He lives in a rented room in rural Cambodia without a kitchen, but he does have something in common with many millionaires. Sachaknisay Sov uses a virtual currency similar to bitcoin. This year, when the taxi driver, 31, was looking for a way to pay bills and afford repairs to his motorcycle, he took a US$500 loan in the form of digital tokens that could be traded for cash in selected pawn shops. “[Digital token-based loans are] absolutely... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2148658/how-bitcoin-and-cryptocurrencies-went-wall-street-high-streets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2148658/how-bitcoin-and-cryptocurrencies-went-wall-street-high-streets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Jun 2018 01:00:30 +0000 Chinese diplomats have said they believe relations with the new government in Malaysia “will enter the next level” under Mahathir Mohamad following a flurry of activity that revealed the clearest signal yet on the newly elected prime minister’s policy towards Beijing. In an internal memo to foreign affairs staff, dated May 14 and obtained by This Week in Asia, Mahathir told foreign ministry secretary general Ramlan Ibrahim that “our strong ties with China … will continue to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2147648/robert-kuok-part-malaysian-pm-mahathir-mohamads-plans-strong-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2147648/robert-kuok-part-malaysian-pm-mahathir-mohamads-plans-strong-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 May 2018 13:13:00 +0000 It’s been a week since Mahathir Mohamad took office as Prime Minister of Malaysia, for the second time. And the 92-year-old has already moved with the aplomb expected of an ex-strongman – he ruled Malaysia with an iron fist from 1981 to 2003 – to assert control over all levers of government. On the economic front, his one-time right hand man Daim Zainuddin, 80, is helming a “Council of Eminent Persons”, which just days after being appointed last week, has come up with a plan to scrap the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2146850/malaysias-mahathir-good-news-china-not-so-much-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2146850/malaysias-mahathir-good-news-china-not-so-much-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 May 2018 00:03:49 +0000 As trade disputes between Beijing and Washington fester, Chinese companies seeking a toehold in next-generation technology have found one of America’s greatest allies could also be their ally. At least six Chinese tech companies have discussed investment opportunities with Israeli microchip makers since March, according to venture capitalists and lawyers involved in the deals. “Some Chinese companies wanted to invest in Israeli chip makers as a technology backup, while others had previously... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2146635/us-trade-war-when-micro-chips-are-down-chinese-cash-flows-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2146635/us-trade-war-when-micro-chips-are-down-chinese-cash-flows-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 May 2018 12:15:45 +0000 “Mr Sunglasses” insists he rarely removes his eyewear, “even when I’m in the shower.” The former soldier insists he knows how to carry out a successful robbery. He can spot the flaws in how security guards operate when picking up cash from banks. He knows how to evade security cameras, and what explosives to use to blow off the doors of armored vehicles. Thankfully, this isn’t all part of some criminal masterplan. In fact Mr Sunglasses, also known as Wang Yuhao, is using his skills to put new... https://www.scmp.com/society/why-business-booming-chinas-bodyguard-factories/article/2131163?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/why-business-booming-chinas-bodyguard-factories/article/2131163?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 May 2018 09:29:13 +0000 For years, Chinese and Malaysian officials have cheered their ambitious economic collaborations. But for now, at least, it seems the cheering is over.  Mahathir Mohamad, often a vocal critic of Chinese investment deals while outside the circle of power, now sits in the centre of it as the new prime minister. Now all eyes are on how he will walk the talk. The 92-year-old politician, who last week defied the odds to unseat Najib Razak in the general election, has already said he will be... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2145797/134-billion-reasons-mahathir-not-rethink-chinese-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2145797/134-billion-reasons-mahathir-not-rethink-chinese-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 May 2018 01:45:15 +0000 Dreaming about bringing prosperity to his family, Marvin Tuazon has travelled thousands of miles from the Philippines to China for work. Teaching Chinese children English has helped him earn twice as much as he made at home, but it is a lonely job. After all, the 31-year-old from Pampanga represents half of the Filipinos in Taian, a city with a population of 5 million. But Tuazon may soon have more company. Recruitment agencies in the Philippines have seen a growing demand from China, as Beijing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2145796/why-china-suddenly-seeking-filipino-english-teachers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2145796/why-china-suddenly-seeking-filipino-english-teachers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 May 2018 23:00:59 +0000 The Malaysian opposition chief Mahathir Mohamad welcomed foreign direct investment from East Asian economies like Japan, Taiwan and South Korea during his 22-year tenure as prime minister, so why is he so nervous about the billions of dollars of Chinese money pouring into the country now?  That is the question being posed by Prime Minister Najib Razak and his supporters as they attempt to pin down the 92-year-old for what they claim is anti-China dog whistling to win crucial Malay votes in next... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2144779/chinese-money-issue-malaysia-only-election-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2144779/chinese-money-issue-malaysia-only-election-time?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 May 2018 01:00:15 +0000 To his hometown friends in Sichuan province, China, Zhang Huadong sounds like a real estate salesman. His conversations always end the same way – with advice to “come and buy a flat in Hainan”. Those friends could be forgiven for any envy the suggestion prompts. After all, “China’s Hawaii”, as this southernmost province is known, is famous not only for its subtropical climate but for its clean air – a luxury lacking in many other parts of the country. And, as a long-time resident, Zhang has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2143733/hainan-chinas-hawaii-hot-property-market-proves-hard-cool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2143733/hainan-chinas-hawaii-hot-property-market-proves-hard-cool?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Apr 2018 23:02:05 +0000 Coco Liu Coco Liu SINGAPORE and Hong Kong have become the up-and-coming destination for companies that want to raise funds using blockchain technology, as Beijing’s recent crackdown on digital currencies sends investors to speculate elsewhere.  The number of companies launching initial coin offerings (ICO) in Singapore and Hong Kong has rocketed in recent months, according to fintech businesses, lawyers and industry groups.  “We cannot say Singapore has become an ICO hub yet, as more work needs to be done, but... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2142682/forget-china-hong-kong-singapore-are-new-kids-blockchain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2142682/forget-china-hong-kong-singapore-are-new-kids-blockchain?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Apr 2018 00:00:45 +0000 When Madhusudan Ekambaram, the co-founder of Bangalore-based KrazyBee, travelled to China for funding in 2016, it seemed clear he was going the wrong way. At the time, fundraising journeys almost always pointed Indian entrepreneurs West – he headed East. “The decision took many by surprise,” he recalled.  Less than three years later, the landscape is markedly different. Ekambaram has raised US$13 million in investments from China, and no longer needs to defend his sense of direction.  “Now,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2141665/made-each-other-indian-start-ups-and-chinese-investors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2141665/made-each-other-indian-start-ups-and-chinese-investors?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Apr 2018 05:30:45 +0000 Driving south from the city of Dubai to Seih Al-Dahal, the view along the road takes on a discomforting rhythm for environmentalists: skyscrapers mushroom in deserts; a yellow Ferrari zips through streets; and every few miles a service station comes into sight, reminding travellers of where the wealth of this tiny Gulf state comes from.  Then, after an hour, you enter a gate leading to an entirely different sort of outpost: the first in a cluster of solar farms that make up the Mohammed bin... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2140281/uae-are-renewables-new-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2140281/uae-are-renewables-new-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Apr 2018 04:01:02 +0000 Meituan-Dianping, China’s largest provider of on-demand services from food-delivery to ride-hailing, trumpeted its ambitions to push deep into mobility by acquiring Mobike, the country’s biggest bicycle-sharing firm.  The two companies confirmed the acquisition on Wednesday in a joint statement, saying they would be in a better position to fulfill their mission of making people “eat better and live better”. A person briefed on the terms said Meituan is paying US$2.7 billion for Mobike. Mobike... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/2140187/chinas-meituan-buys-bicycle-sharing-firm-mobike-mobility-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/2140187/chinas-meituan-buys-bicycle-sharing-firm-mobike-mobility-push?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Apr 2018 01:30:45 +0000 It’s early on a crisp winter morning in Yujin, a sleepy village in northern China, and two young men are getting ready to start work. Their days consist of selling locally grown fruit and vegetables. Today, it is pomegranates picked up from a neighbouring village, Shangchen, as it is too early in the year for the sweet potatoes that Yujin is known for. Working together with neighbours comes naturally in poor, rural areas like these, where farming has long been the only source of income. And, for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2137034/returning-migrants-chinese-economys-next-great-hope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2137034/returning-migrants-chinese-economys-next-great-hope?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Mar 2018 23:02:02 +0000 On a recent winter day in Beijing, Ren Li crawls into bed at 3am, worn out after a long day of taking care of her three-month-old daughter. Despite her exhaustion, she is up promptly at 7 in the morning. But the first thing the doctor, 38, reaches for isn’t a cup of coffee – instead, she grabs her phone and opens an app she can’t stop using. As soon as Ren logs in, she quickly scrolls down vocabulary lists, reads a chapter of the British detective novel Sherlock Holmes, and then answers... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2136105/how-tech-firms-are-using-chinas-social-media-addiction-teach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2136105/how-tech-firms-are-using-chinas-social-media-addiction-teach?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Mar 2018 03:00:45 +0000 As the wind howls through the narrow empty streets in Abu Dhabi’s grand ecological experiment, a deep sense of isolation sets in. There aren’t any hotels, supermarkets and shopping malls. Residents are few, with many restaurants half empty during lunch hour. The silence is punctuated by the occasional “rat tat tat” from a construction site. The sun is nearly at high noon, but the streets are shaded from the harsh Arabian sun – an feat made possible by the planners who designed the city – but... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2133409/oil-rich-abu-dhabis-masdar-city-green-oasis-or-green-ghost-town?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2133409/oil-rich-abu-dhabis-masdar-city-green-oasis-or-green-ghost-town?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Feb 2018 05:00:30 +0000 He is the movie star with many names. “India’s conscience” to Chinese media; “Guaranteed Sales” to film distributors, and nothing less than Nan Shen (Male God) to Mandarin-speaking silver screen lovers. Yet those most familiar with the man shattering record books for Bollywood films in China refer simply – and fondly – to “Uncle Aamir”. Step forward Aamir Khan, an actor described by some as India’s greatest cultural export to China since Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate whose stories held... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2130746/meet-secret-superstar-china-india-aamir-khan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2130746/meet-secret-superstar-china-india-aamir-khan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jan 2018 23:00:30 +0000 By any measure, 62-year-old Shan Juzhen was an easy mark. After the shortest of conversations with other investors, Shan put more than US$15,000 – or nearly a year of her pension – into a lending club she had never heard of. She felt it unnecessary to check the qualifications of the lending club, which serves as an alternative for borrowers who cannot get a loan from a big bank. She also did not ask questions about how her money would be lent. The only thing Shan wanted to know was would the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/article/2125657/easiest-way-lose-your-lifes-savings-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/article/2125657/easiest-way-lose-your-lifes-savings-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Dec 2017 01:00:45 +0000 Chen Yan is not an ideal guest for most hotels in China. Instead of being welcomed by receptionists, she is often stopped at the front door. Her latest rejection came when she travelled to the southern Chinese city of Wenchang for business last week. The problem? Chen, a piano tuner, is blind: she wanted to check in with her guide dog. “I told the hotel Jenny is a certified service dog, but they said no dogs were allowed in their hotel,” Chen recalls. Their exchange of words went on for some... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2124177/chinas-blind-await-year-guide-dog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2124177/chinas-blind-await-year-guide-dog?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Dec 2017 11:33:35 +0000 Peng Wenqi sits with a group of gamers at 8.30am on a recent Friday, their eyes glued to a game of League of Legends, the immensely popular multiplayer battle arena video game. While her gaze rarely leaves the screen, she breaks down the action play by play to the others, who sit around listening with smiles on their faces. While many might think Peng, 19, and her group are in the final stages of an all-night gaming session that will leave them blurry-eyed and exhausted, it’s quite the opposite.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2122503/e-sports-how-chinas-video-gamers-went-couch-classroom-career?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2122503/e-sports-how-chinas-video-gamers-went-couch-classroom-career?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Dec 2017 00:34:24 +0000 When Wu Bo, a Chinese angel investor from Shenzhen, decides which start-up to invest in he doesn’t need to see a company portfolio. Instead, he is concerned with a much smaller document, a passport. So when he happened to bump into an Israeli entrepreneur on a flight from San Francisco, a follow-up dinner meeting was quickly arranged. Once at the table, Wu wasted little time in getting to the point: “Can I invest in your company?” Then, he asked his second question: “What do you do exactly, by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2121498/why-israel-new-promised-land-chinese-investors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2121498/why-israel-new-promised-land-chinese-investors?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Nov 2017 01:45:28 +0000 UBTech Robotics, the Chinese maker of Star Wars Stormtrooper robots that can respond to voice commands and recognise faces, is close to raising US$400 million in a funding round led by Tencent, according to people familiar with the matter. If completed, the series C funding round could value the Shenzhen-based company at about US$4 billion, according to one of the people, who asked not to be identified as the information is private. The funding is still being finalised and details could still... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2120046/chinese-maker-star-wars-robot-close-raising-us400m-largest-funding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2120046/chinese-maker-star-wars-robot-close-raising-us400m-largest-funding?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Nov 2017 08:45:45 +0000 An uprising is underway in rural China and this very 21st century peasant revolution will definitely be televised. In its vanguard are hard-working sons of the soil like Li Bo, a farmer in the northeast of the country who has discovered a new and unexpected furrow to plough thanks to a concerted push into the countryside by China’s online broadcasting industry. The 41-year-old farmer from Wuchang village has unearthed a talent for movie direction, and all he needs is an eye for a story, a bit of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2119331/films-everyday-farm-scenes-china-may-not-be-blue-planet-they-are?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2119331/films-everyday-farm-scenes-china-may-not-be-blue-planet-they-are?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Nov 2017 12:31:07 +0000 Lingga Madu dreams that one day his company will design and sell fashionable clothes at a price everyone can afford. Born of past experience, it is a business vision very much focused on embracing the future. Having grown up in Jogja – where the average daily wage of US$3 means it ranks as one of Indonesia’s poorest cities – the 32-year-old software engineer recalled how the latest fashions were beyond the reach of most people. That memory stayed with him and in 2014 Madu founded Sale Stock, a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2118345/artificial-intelligence-rise-southeast-asia-helping-everyone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2118345/artificial-intelligence-rise-southeast-asia-helping-everyone?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Nov 2017 08:03:21 +0000 It is always tricky for multinationals to pick a name that sounds right to Chinese ears, but few went as wrong as McDonald’s latest business tweak. When the news broke last week that the American fast-food giant had changed its business name in China, ditching the previous Maidanglao – a transliteration of the company’s English name – in favour of Jingongmen, which roughly translates as “Golden Arches,” Chinese social media gorged itself with amusement. “[The new name] sounds like a furniture... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2118343/are-chinese-falling-out-love-mcdonalds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2118343/are-chinese-falling-out-love-mcdonalds?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Nov 2017 05:18:03 +0000 He was an entrepreneur who worked in high-paid programming roles for Chinese tech firms before starting his own. She was a young, smart and beautiful graduate of a top Chinese university, described by classmates as a “dream girlfriend”. Su Xiangmao and Zhai Xinxin met on a dating website and tied the knot after a whirlwind romance. Tragically, their ever-so-modern love story ended almost as abruptly as it had began. Just one month after they married, she asked for a divorce and he jumped from... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2116319/whats-stopping-chinese-saying-i-do-prenup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2116319/whats-stopping-chinese-saying-i-do-prenup?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Oct 2017 06:00:15 +0000 Recently Jack WANG, a Chinese student who went to Germany for an exchange programme returned home to Beijing with a few personal items he had purchased abroad, such as kitchenware and skincare products. But there were also a few things he chose to keep under wraps as he passed through customs, because he knew they wouldn’t make the Chinese authorities happy – a set of censor-fighting smartphone apps. While the names and developers of the apps seem to constantly vary, they all serve Jack’s single... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2114088/guess-what-chinese-travellers-are-bringing-back-home-vpns-lots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2114088/guess-what-chinese-travellers-are-bringing-back-home-vpns-lots?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Oct 2017 07:15:00 +0000 For Zhao Changlin, an oncologist at a hospital in Guangzhou city, China, life is full of challenges. One of his patients, a woman with late-stage breast cancer, recently begged him to stop her chemotherapy, saying she could no longer bear the pain. Zhao knows only too well the torment the woman is going through – seeing people in pain is an unfortunate but everyday part of his job. He also knows that giving up the treatment could be fatal. “She is only 54 years old. If she continues the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2113455/artificial-intelligence-doctors-chinese-patients-cant-beat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2113455/artificial-intelligence-doctors-chinese-patients-cant-beat?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Sep 2017 06:47:02 +0000 Ian Chua took his first step to establishing a multimillion dollar business by watching a YouTube video. Back in 2012, Chua was browsing the web when he came across a television interview featuring the Chinese entrepreneur Chen Ou. Chen, the founder of Beijing-based Jumei, talked about how he had built one of China’s biggest online cosmetics store by leveraging shoppers’ collective bargaining power. Chua, a young Malaysian student fresh out of college, listened carefully and an idea emerged. “I... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2110992/e-commerce-bike-shares-how-chinese-firms-went-copycat-copy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2110992/e-commerce-bike-shares-how-chinese-firms-went-copycat-copy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Sep 2017 00:00:30 +0000 Take a guess: which Southeast Asian country did Beijing invite for the BRICS Summit that begins on Sunday in Xiamen, where leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa will discuss the future of emerging economies over tea? Option A: Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s biggest economy; Option B: Cambodia, the region’s fastest growing economy, or; Option C: Thailand, which is riding a wave of political uncertainty, even if it is the second-largest economy in Southeast Asia. And the answer... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2109399/why-did-china-invite-thailand-brics-party-clue-its-sleeper-hit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2109399/why-did-china-invite-thailand-brics-party-clue-its-sleeper-hit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Sep 2017 06:32:28 +0000 THE FICKLE AND often fleeting business of internet celebrity is booming in China – and not just for the locals. Social media personalities generated more than US$7.9 billion in revenue last year, according to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and foreigners are helping themselves to a growing share of the pie. Take David Gulasi, the founder of an English education centre in Inner Mongolia, as a case in point. His profession might not seem an obvious platform to fame and fortune, but he has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2107339/how-expats-are-cashing-chinas-internet-celebrity-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2107339/how-expats-are-cashing-chinas-internet-celebrity-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Aug 2017 00:32:28 +0000 First, they censor newspapers and television stations. Then, it’s social media. Now, China’s censorship brigade is taking on artificial intelligence (AI). Tencent, China’s technology giant, has quietly shut down BabyQ, a chatbot which used to run on QQ, a messaging app with more than 800 million users in the country. The sin? The AI-powered BabyQ told Chinese users that it didn’t love the Communist Party. Tencent also pulled the QQ version of Xiaobing, another chatbot developed by Microsoft,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2105338/my-china-dream-moving-united-states-chinese-chatbots-censored?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2105338/my-china-dream-moving-united-states-chinese-chatbots-censored?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Aug 2017 14:00:15 +0000 When Nazira Baharom finished her final year of school, she had her pick of Malaysia’s many universities. Hardworking, committed and focused, the 18-year-old student had received high marks and was clear about her goals for higher education. But something held her back from applying to the traditional institutions. Nazira, who had been studying in an Islamic school for the final five of her school years, had grown weary and generally bored of the local education system. She found the college life... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2097965/belt-road-and-books-how-chinas-trying-soft-power-outreach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2097965/belt-road-and-books-how-chinas-trying-soft-power-outreach?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Jul 2017 01:30:45 +0000 If China’s increasingly tightening internet control has any beneficiaries, it would be overseas virtual private network service providers. Several such providers told This Week in Asia that their business has skyrocketed over the past few weeks, as more and more Chinese internet users are looking overseas for help to bypass government censors. Virtual private network services, or VPNs, are a lifeline for those in China that want to surf freely in the cyber world. By rerouting internet traffic to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2104494/its-game-whack-mole-overseas-vpn-service-providers-gain-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2104494/its-game-whack-mole-overseas-vpn-service-providers-gain-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Jul 2017 07:32:32 +0000 In 2012, when He Yang started her college life in Beijing, the then 18-year-old had a clear plan of her future: after graduating from the Beijing Foreign Studies University, known as the cradle of Chinese diplomats, He wanted to work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Five years passed, her life seems far from that plan. Instead of working as a Russian-speaking diplomat in Beijing, she now studies at a graduate school of Yerevan State University in Armenia, a mountainous nation sandwiched... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/article/2104522/why-students-beijing-are-learning-armenian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/article/2104522/why-students-beijing-are-learning-armenian?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Jul 2017 03:45:15 +0000 In the grounds of Zhongzhou Bodyguard in southern China, a circular terrace is filled with blooming sunflowers, and a 300kg tractor tyre. The flowers are there for decoration, the tyre is all about business. For new recruits to this bodyguard boot camp, taking part in intense physical workouts – sometimes involving giant rings of heavy duty rubber – is, like mastering the art of hand-to-hand combat, knife-throwing or marksmanship, all part of a day’s work. For the past 11 years, private security... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2102703/peek-chinas-swashbuckling-bodyguard-factories-and-their?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2102703/peek-chinas-swashbuckling-bodyguard-factories-and-their?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Jul 2017 03:30:15 +0000 The Doklam standoff between Chinese and Indian troops may have begun to permeate the country’s social media, where anti-India sentiment is rising steadily, but none of that hatred seems to have touched Dangal. The Bollywood movie, a true story of a wrestler’s quest to train his daughters as world-class fighters, continues to be wildly popular in China despite the end of its theatre run in early July. Viewers can still watch it on iQiyi, China’s Netflix, and numerous other Chinese streaming... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2103486/border-standoff-india-be-damned-chinese-love-dangal-just-keeps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2103486/border-standoff-india-be-damned-chinese-love-dangal-just-keeps?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jul 2017 13:17:03 +0000 While many have speculated that US President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy could give China room to grow its global influence, a new report claims it has found objective proof. According to an annual global ranking of soft power issued Tuesday, China’s influence has risen for the second year in a row, up to 25th worldwide from 28th last year, while the US dropped from first place to third, sliding for the first time since the ranking was introduced in 2015. However, Uncle Sam still holds... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/article/2103133/china-climbs-soft-power-index-while-trump-pulls-us-down-gaps-still-yuuuuge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/article/2103133/china-climbs-soft-power-index-while-trump-pulls-us-down-gaps-still-yuuuuge?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jul 2017 10:15:45 +0000 After receiving countless requests from friends asking him to teach them gaming skills, Wang Jin, an executive of a Chinese tech start-up near Shanghai, smelled a business opportunity. Wang’s company, Hangzhou-based Yocaihua, rolled out an unusual service: anyone who wants to improve their performance in the multiplayer online battle arena Honour of Kings can hire a senior player to teach them, at a minimum fee of 20 yuan (US$3) per hour. Why China’s Honour of Kings is so popular: it’s all about... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2101498/how-tencent-blurred-lines-gaming-social-networking-honour-kings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2101498/how-tencent-blurred-lines-gaming-social-networking-honour-kings?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jul 2017 00:15:00 +0000 Su Nan, a trader along the China-North Korea border, used to be a busy man. He used to wake early in the morning, fill his schedule with endless phone calls, and in a good year close deals worth millions of US dollars. But now, all of that has gone. “We have no revenue so far this year,” Su told This Week in Asia. “In fact, we have been struggling since 2016, with fewer and fewer orders coming.” Although his company hasn’t lowered his salary or laid off workers, Su said he can’t help but worry.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2101743/sanctions-are-fine-what-about-chinese-who-depend-trade-north?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2101743/sanctions-are-fine-what-about-chinese-who-depend-trade-north?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Jul 2017 02:33:52 +0000 The note on the tech company’s front door was quite clear: “Use your staff card, please. Don’t knock. It is not nice to disturb others’ work.” But on this particular day, the normally staid and hushed workspace was roaring with music and exclamations loud enough to make windows shake. “Nice shot!” one shouted. “Back! Back! Oh, no!” another screamed. In this case, the kind of noise usually reserved for a soccer match between Liverpool and Manchester United was triggered by competing robots. These... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2099520/all-work-some-play-how-hackathons-are-transforming-chinas-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2099520/all-work-some-play-how-hackathons-are-transforming-chinas-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jun 2017 00:32:20 +0000 Life is full of questions for Zhu Ning, a business consultant in Shanghai who has signed up with Fenda, a Q&A website often described as China’s answer to Quora. Having joined the service last month, Zhu can be called upon by any of the website’s members to answer their questions on his specialist field of sales and corporate management – provided they agree to pay his set fee of 27 yuan (HK$30) per question. He then gets 48 hours to answer their queries – via voice messages that must last no... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2098668/how-can-quora-make-money-chinas-qa-websites-have-answer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2098668/how-can-quora-make-money-chinas-qa-websites-have-answer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jun 2017 00:31:37 +0000 As Beijing scrambles to befriend neighbouring countries and ease anxieties over its rising military power, social media users are demanding their government send troops to Pakistan to seek payback for the killing of two Chinese nationals. Calls for action were stoked after Islamic State (IS), a terrorist group active in Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for executing a young man and woman last week in Pakistan. Chinese officials have yet to directly confirm the deaths, but a spokesman from... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2098320/islamic-state-killings-chinas-censored-social-media-uproar-so?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2098320/islamic-state-killings-chinas-censored-social-media-uproar-so?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jun 2017 04:48:25 +0000 Heeseon Xu and Jesson Liu have a dream – that one day they will own property in Thailand. The southeast Asian nation has made its name globally among investors and those seeking a second home thanks to its spicy food, ancient temples and tropical islands, but what attracts Xu and Liu is something else. Acceptance. The couple from Chongqing ( 重慶 ), southwest China, are gay. Isolated in their hometown, they have become frequent visitors to the Land of Smiles, where they can show their attachment... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2095807/eat-play-love-why-chinas-gays-see-thailand-land-smiles-and-second?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2095807/eat-play-love-why-chinas-gays-see-thailand-land-smiles-and-second?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 May 2017 02:00:30 +0000 The view from Guo Lili’s condo will be worth the years of saving she has put in to afford this tiny slice of the Thai capital. From her one-bedroom flat on the 33rd floor, she will have a sweeping view of Bangkok that stretches to the horizon. Her decision to buy in one of the Thai capital’s most popular residential areas, On Nut, is part of a long-term vision for Guo, who sees the property as a solid investment. The flat is under construction and she will not get the key until 2019, but when... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2095827/why-are-middle-class-chinese-moving-their-money-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2095827/why-are-middle-class-chinese-moving-their-money-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 May 2017 00:00:15 +0000 Yukin Pang, a public relations specialist in Shenzhen, relies on her iPhone for everything from responding to work emails to paying her taxi bill. But that frequent use has a side effect that will be familiar to smartphone users worldwide: a short battery life that leaves the 28-year-old fretting about when the next ill-timed power outage will strike. While she has several battery banks, she rarely carries them, either forgetting to pick them up or leaving them at home due to their bulk and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2094160/cars-batteries-chinas-sharing-economy-bubble-territory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2094160/cars-batteries-chinas-sharing-economy-bubble-territory?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 May 2017 00:00:54 +0000 China’s Dalian Wanda Group is in talks with Malaysia to take a major stake in a multibillion dollar property project in Kuala Lumpur, sources say, with some suggesting the deal could be inked as early as this weekend, at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing. A Malaysian government source told This Week in Asia talks were ongoing between the property and entertainment conglomerate and the Malaysian government regarding the Bandar Malaysia development, but declined to provide further details. Bandar... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2093728/chinas-dalian-wanda-talks-stake-bandar-malaysia-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2093728/chinas-dalian-wanda-talks-stake-bandar-malaysia-project?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 May 2017 04:30:30 +0000 At first glance, this children’s education centre looks similar to any other. Its walls are decorated with pupils’ paintings. Fairy-tale books are piled up everywhere. Children of all ages are running around, dancing, laughing and playing. But on closer inspection, a different picture emerges. Its bamboo structure gives away its ethnic background. The children speak a language that only 100,000 people in the world understand. And behind their laughs lies a dark truth – most come from families... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2092298/chinese-children-dancing-away-drug-addiction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2092298/chinese-children-dancing-away-drug-addiction?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 May 2017 09:00:36 +0000