https://www.scmp.com/rss/326579/feed Yingzhi Yang is a Beijing-based technology reporter focusing on the rise and fall of tech firms in China and impact they exert in domestic and international society. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alibaba Group confirmed it was looking at contributing to a new round of fundraising by Shanghai-based bike sharing start-up Hellobike. “We are considering this opportunity,” said an Alibaba spokeswoman, responding to an earlier Chinese media report saying that Alibaba planned to invest “hundreds of millions of US dollars” in Hellobike in the near future. Alibaba declined to provide further details. A Hellobike spokeswoman declined to comment. The three-year-old start-up already counts Alibaba’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3016456/alibaba-confirms-it-mulling-further-investment-bike-sharing-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3016456/alibaba-confirms-it-mulling-further-investment-bike-sharing-start?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jun 2019 04:27:49 +0000 Chinese drone maker DJI Technologies has published an open letter in which the world’s largest maker of recreational drones denies its devices send flight data to China, following a US Senate committee discussion last week on drone security and supply chain risk. In an open letter to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation published on Monday, the Shenzhen-based company said its drones “do not automatically send flight data to China or anywhere else,” pointing out that the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3015947/drone-maker-dji-denies-sending-data-china-and-says-us-decisions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3015947/drone-maker-dji-denies-sending-data-china-and-says-us-decisions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jun 2019 04:21:45 +0000 About 20 years of banking and investment experience have taught Esther Wong the value of strong research to find gems from among the many companies in the market. That acumen is now serving her well in the complex field of artificial intelligence (AI). Wong, 42, serves as managing director of strategic investments at SenseTime Group, the world’s most valuable AI start-up and one of Beijing’s hand-picked champions advancing China’s ambition to become a global leader in that technology. Since... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3015426/women-tech-how-esther-wong-rose-it-support-america-senior-management?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3015426/women-tech-how-esther-wong-rose-it-support-america-senior-management?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2019 22:00:06 +0000 The world’s most valuable unicorn ByteDance said its apps, including short video app Douyin (known as Tik Tok outside mainland China), gathered a total of 1 billion monthly active users globally as of this January. Douyin president Zhang Nan announced the number at the Shanghai Film Festival this week, and the figures were later confirmed by a ByteDance spokeswoman. The Beijing-based new media giant counts deep-pocketed investors such as SoftBank among its backers. It secured an estimated US$76... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3015478/tiktok-owner-bytedance-gathers-one-billion-monthly-active-users?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3015478/tiktok-owner-bytedance-gathers-one-billion-monthly-active-users?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2019 04:00:36 +0000 ByteDance, the world’s most valuable start-up, has moved to bolster the overseas expansion of popular short-form video app TikTok by hiring a senior executive from social media giant Facebook. The Beijing-based company’s new recruit, Blake Chandlee, has been appointed as TikTok’s head of strategic partnerships. He most recently served as vice-president of global partnerships for more than eight years at Facebook. “I expect Blake Chandlee’s mandate will be to focus on the international expansion... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3014893/bytedance-poaches-facebook-power-short-video-app-tiktoks-global?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3014893/bytedance-poaches-facebook-power-short-video-app-tiktoks-global?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jun 2019 22:00:16 +0000 Seven years ago, in a villa facing a lake in Shenzhen, a small group of top Huawei Technologies executives headed by founder Ren Zhengfei held a closed-door meeting that lasted for several days. Their mission was to brainstorm ideas on how Huawei should respond to the rising success of Google’s Android smartphone operating system (OS) around the world – software that it used on its own handsets. The underlying concern was that dependence on Android could render the company vulnerable to a US ban... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3013813/inside-huaweis-secretive-plans-develop-operating-system-rival-googles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3013813/inside-huaweis-secretive-plans-develop-operating-system-rival-googles?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jun 2019 22:00:05 +0000 ByteDance, owner of hit short video app TikTok, has bought a 30 per cent stake in online sports commentary and news platform Hupu for 1.26 billion yuan (US$150 million), expanding its presence in China’s media space. ByteDance said in a statement that it will collaborate with Hupu on content and in serving content creators, letting “information create more value for the users.” Shanghai-based Hupu was founded in 2004 by Shawn Cheng as an online community where sports fans talk about basketball,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3013399/worlds-biggest-unicorn-bytedance-acquires-30-cent-chinese-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3013399/worlds-biggest-unicorn-bytedance-acquires-30-cent-chinese-online?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jun 2019 08:02:46 +0000 Jenny Lee, a managing partner at private equity firm GGV Capital, says being a venture capitalist (VC) in China can veer from analysing companies and deals to being a psychiatrist or even a marriage counsellor when needed. Based in Shanghai, Lee said in an interview that she once had to call up a start-up founder’s wife, who thought her husband was neglecting their family, to explain that the man frequently slept at the office because he was working hard to raise a new round of financing to keep... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3011690/women-tech-ggv-capitals-jenny-lee-reflects-investing-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3011690/women-tech-ggv-capitals-jenny-lee-reflects-investing-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 May 2019 01:00:09 +0000 Chinese food delivery services giant Meituan Dianping plans to continue its foray into China’s grocery retail sector, despite closing a number of its Ella supermarkets in the first quarter of this year, as it ratchets up competition with Alibaba Group Holding. Beijing-based Meituan said it was “disciplined on capital allocation for our new initiatives”, according to a regulatory filing in Hong Kong on Thursday when it posted better-than-expected earnings for the quarter ended March. “With our... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3011575/chinas-meituan-dianping-narrows-losses-pushes-forward-grocery-retail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3011575/chinas-meituan-dianping-narrows-losses-pushes-forward-grocery-retail?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 May 2019 00:00:16 +0000 From a cramped room at a university dormitory in Hong Kong, SZ DJI Technology has grown to become the world largest drone maker, whose products are sold in more than 100 countries. In recent years, however, DJI has joined a growing number of major Chinese technology companies portrayed by the US government as security threats with potential ties to Beijing’s intelligence sector. The US Army banned the use of drones from DJI in 2017 because of security concerns. Earlier this week, the US... https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3011559/chinese-drone-maker-dji-monitors-us-blacklist-it-develops-own-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3011559/chinese-drone-maker-dji-monitors-us-blacklist-it-develops-own-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 May 2019 23:00:12 +0000 Xiaomi Corp, the world’s fourth largest smartphone supplier, said it was closely monitoring the recent move by Google to curtail some business with Chinese rival Huawei Technologies as the company accelerates its international expansion plans. “We are paying a lot of attention to this issue, but it has no direct impact on us,” said Chew Shou Zi, chief financial officer at Xiaomi, in a conference call with analysts after the close of trading in Hong Kong on Monday. Chew said the Beijing-based... https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3011023/chinas-xiaomi-pushes-global-smartphone-expansion-it-monitors-us-trade-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/3011023/chinas-xiaomi-pushes-global-smartphone-expansion-it-monitors-us-trade-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 May 2019 21:30:12 +0000 Sequoia Capital China, Tencent Holdings and IDG Capital are the three top ranking investors in Chinese unicorns, according to a new report. The Hurun report lists 202 unicorns, start-ups valued at more than US$1 billion, in China as of the first quarter of 2019. Sequoia China has invested in 53 of them, Tencent has put money into 31 and IDG has invested in 25. “China has the largest number of unicorns in the world,” said Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher at Hurun. More than 70 per... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3009974/sequoia-tencent-and-idg-are-top-investors-chinese-unicorns-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3009974/sequoia-tencent-and-idg-are-top-investors-chinese-unicorns-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 May 2019 22:00:04 +0000 Meituan Dianping is offering its short-distance delivery service to more consumers and industries under a new brand “Meituan Delivery” as the loss-making on-demand services giant searches for more sources of revenue. “The extension and opening of Meituan’s delivery network will help establish a more flexible delivery platform by customising services for different industries, upgrading our delivery dispatch system, and improving delivery infrastructure,” said Wang Puzhong, Meituan’s senior... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3009126/chinas-meituan-dianping-pushes-its-short-delivery-service-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3009126/chinas-meituan-dianping-pushes-its-short-delivery-service-more?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 May 2019 03:39:35 +0000 Using a pair of glasses to detect and locate criminals might sound like a futuristic scene from a Hollywood film, but it has already become a reality in China. Beijing-based augmented reality (AR) company Xloong created such a set of smart glasses for Chinese police in 2017, according to a company brochure. When wearing the AR glasses, police can access real-time facial, identification card and vehicle plate information that are linked with a national database. The company said the AR glasses... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3008721/chinese-ar-start-develops-smart-glasses-help-police-catch-suspects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3008721/chinese-ar-start-develops-smart-glasses-help-police-catch-suspects?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 May 2019 22:00:14 +0000 ByteDance, the world’s most valuable start-up, is facing a steep learning curve on its international expansion, as its popular short-video app TikTok gets embroiled in regulatory issues in different overseas markets. TikTok, known as Douyin in mainland China, has become one of the most heavily downloaded apps worldwide since it was launched in 2016, but that rapid growth has been marred by recent problems with regulators in Indonesia, the United States and India. “Those problems suggest a lack... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3008349/bytedance-faces-global-learning-curve-tiktok-runs-afoul-local?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3008349/bytedance-faces-global-learning-curve-tiktok-runs-afoul-local?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Apr 2019 22:00:14 +0000 Xiaomi, the world’s fourth-biggest smartphone maker, said it will set up a technical committee comprising 19 members as part of its efforts to transform the company into an artificial intelligence-driven company. Cui Baoqiu, the company’s recently promoted vice-president, is chairman of the committee, which will be responsible for technical strategy, collaboration with governments and universities, recruiting and encouraging tech talent and building an engineer culture in the company, according... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3008234/smartphone-maker-xiaomi-sets-technical-committee-build-engineering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3008234/smartphone-maker-xiaomi-sets-technical-committee-build-engineering?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Apr 2019 04:23:55 +0000 Amazon will make “operational adjustments” to its China business to focus more on cross-border sales amid stiff competition from domestic operators in the world’s largest e-commerce market. The US e-commerce giant said on Thursday it would stop providing services to third-party merchants on its domestic market place from July 18. “Over the past few years, we have been evolving our China online retail business to increasingly emphasise cross-border sales, and in return we’ve seen very strong... https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3006685/amazon-confirms-it-will-withdraw-support-third-party-merchants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/e-commerce/article/3006685/amazon-confirms-it-will-withdraw-support-third-party-merchants?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Apr 2019 05:40:40 +0000 The social short video app TikTok, developed by Beijing-based Bytedance, attracted 188 million new users worldwide during the quarter ended March 31, a 70 per cent jump year on year, according to a recent report by research firm Sensor Tower. The rapid growth was mainly driven by India where 88.6 million new users downloaded the app during the period. TikTok also saw an in-app purchase hike of 222 per cent year on year, hitting US$18.9 million globally, excluding purchases from China’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3006319/short-video-app-tiktok-extends-reach-global-markets-sees-app?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3006319/short-video-app-tiktok-extends-reach-global-markets-sees-app?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Apr 2019 03:21:37 +0000 During the internet boom of the 1990s, Silicon Valley tech workers clocked up long hours to keep their start-ups afloat amid fierce competition and rapidly changing technology trends. When the dot-com bubble burst at the end of the decade, working hours were cut back as people sought a better work-life balance. Chinese tech workers have been in a similar high growth phase where long hours are expected on the job. Now, with internet growth slowing, venture capital funding harder to find, and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3005947/quantity-or-quality-chinas-996-work-culture-comes-under-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3005947/quantity-or-quality-chinas-996-work-culture-comes-under-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Apr 2019 22:00:08 +0000 Beijing-based Bytedance, operator of the TikTok short video platform, is working on a Spotify-like music streaming app for overseas markets, according to people familiar with the matter. Bytedance plans to launch the music app “soon,” said one of the people, declining to be named because the information is private. Currently there are more than 100 people working on it, according to the person. A Bytedance spokeswoman said the company had no comment. The Chinese company, currently the world’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3005845/tiktok-owner-bytedance-said-be-planning-spotify-music-streaming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3005845/tiktok-owner-bytedance-said-be-planning-spotify-music-streaming?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Apr 2019 04:33:12 +0000 The mutual aid health product available on Ant Financial’s mobile payment platform has reached 50 million users, the company said in a statement on Thursday. Xiang Hu Bao, meaning “mutual protection” or literally “lend a helping hand,” was launched by Ant Financial last October in partnership with Trust Mutual Life Insurance Co, China’s first mutual life insurance organisation. Available on the Alipay platform, its aim is to provide basic health plans for 300 million people in the coming two... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3005692/ant-financials-mutual-aid-platform-xiang-hu-bao-hits-50-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3005692/ant-financials-mutual-aid-platform-xiang-hu-bao-hits-50-million?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Apr 2019 05:58:56 +0000 The founder of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp received almost as much in compensation last year as the company made in profit. Xiaomi said in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange on Wednesday that Lei Jun, its chairman and chief executive, received a one-off compensation of 636.6 million B-class shares for 2018, currently valued at HK$7.5 billion (US$956 million) based on Tuesday’s closing share price. Xiaomi’s annual adjusted net profit for 2018 was 8.6 billion yuan (US$1.3 billion),... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3005513/xiaomi-founder-lei-jun-earned-almost-much-company-last-year-pledged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3005513/xiaomi-founder-lei-jun-earned-almost-much-company-last-year-pledged?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Apr 2019 05:10:58 +0000 Resentment against long working hours in China’s tech industry is growing among software developers that use the Github open development platform after a user posted a copy of China’s labour laws on the site and named two e-commerce companies that practice the 996 work schedule – 9am to 9pm, six days a week. A Github user called “996icu” posted a so-called repo (repository) on Tuesday complaining that working 996 all the time means running the risk of ending up in the “intensive care unit”,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3003691/developers-lives-matter-chinese-software-engineers-use-github?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/3003691/developers-lives-matter-chinese-software-engineers-use-github?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Mar 2019 22:00:12 +0000 It used to be the case that Chinese tech companies built a foundation in the domestic market by copying the business models of successful US companies and localising them to make them more relevant for Chinese consumers. Baidu was China’s answer to Google, Sina Weibo was China’s Twitter and Alibaba’s Taobao was a Chinese version of eBay, with some incremental tweaks. Today that is changing and companies in China’s rapidly expanding tech sector are now driving fundamental innovation that is... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3003114/can-chinas-tech-industry-its-game-and-take-lead-when-it-comes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3003114/can-chinas-tech-industry-its-game-and-take-lead-when-it-comes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Mar 2019 21:30:10 +0000 Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi Corp on Tuesday reported a net profit of 13.5 billion yuan (US$2 billion) for 2018, rebounding from its 43.9 billion yuan loss in 2017. The Beijing-based company’s total revenue grew 52.6 per cent to 174.9 billion yuan, but slightly missed the 176 billion yuan market average estimate from analysts’ forecasts compiled by Bloomberg. That was driven by a 41.3 per cent increase in global smartphone sales to 113.8 billion yuan over the previous year, as total shipments... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3002378/xiaomi-posts-135-billion-yuan-annual-profit-amid-higher-global?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3002378/xiaomi-posts-135-billion-yuan-annual-profit-amid-higher-global?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Mar 2019 11:27:03 +0000 Beijing-based ByteDance has acquired 100 per cent of Shanghai-based mobile game developer Mokun Technology, as the world’s most valuable unicorn makes a further foray into video gaming. Mokun, founded in 2013, became wholly owned by Beijing Zhaoxi Guangnian Technology recently, a subsidiary of ByteDance, according to public business registration information. Mokun’s executive chairman is currently Zhang Lidong, senior vice-president and legal representative at ByteDance. The Shanghai-based video... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3002132/tiktok-operator-bytedance-buys-gaming-start-move-likely-sharpen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3002132/tiktok-operator-bytedance-buys-gaming-start-move-likely-sharpen?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Mar 2019 05:32:15 +0000 TikTok, the popular short video app owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, recently surpassed 1 billion installs globally on the iOS App Store and Google Play, becoming a hit in the US, Europe, India, and Southeast Asia. The app, in which people dance, jump and lip sync to pop songs and music in 15-second shareable videos, was also the fourth-most downloaded non-game app last year and the No. 1 non-game app in the US in January, according to research firm SensorTower. This makes it the first... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3001893/how-short-video-app-tiktok-became-first-chinese-made-app-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/3001893/how-short-video-app-tiktok-became-first-chinese-made-app-take?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Mar 2019 22:30:10 +0000 For the Lunar New Year in February, China’s ubiquitous mobile payment service WeChat Pay hired Becky Li to be a “chief experience officer,” showing off how easy it was to pay for things with your phone, even when traveling overseas. “I thought WeChat would hire a celebrity,” said Li in her office in the heart of Guangzhou. Li is no pop star or TV personality. But in a way, she’s exactly the kind of celebrity that brands increasingly lust after. With more than 7.5 million combined followers on... https://www.scmp.com/style/chinas-key-opinion-leaders-turn-influence-sales/article/3001678?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/style/chinas-key-opinion-leaders-turn-influence-sales/article/3001678?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:19:08 +0000 The Kardashians may have been able to create a US entertainment phenomenon by revealing their luxurious lifestyle through a long running reality TV series, but Chinese key opinion leaders (KOLs) have been able to convert fans and generate sales on a level their western peers can only dream of. While western influencers are mostly video bloggers on Instagram or YouTube, Chinese KOLs can be columnists, socialites, photobloggers, or short video creators – and they have multiple channels through... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3001599/how-chinas-kols-convert-fans-sales-creating-nearly-us9-billion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3001599/how-chinas-kols-convert-fans-sales-creating-nearly-us9-billion?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Mar 2019 23:01:24 +0000 Chinese on-demand delivery services operators, including Meituan Dianping and Alibaba Group Holding-owned Ele.me, are tightening inspection of restaurants on their online platforms, after a government regulator found up to 35,000 such establishments were operating illegally. The Beijing Market Supervision Administration, which has initiated more than 2,100 cases against those illegal food merchants, announced on Wednesday that it has met with these platform operators to “ensure the safety of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3001535/chinas-demand-delivery-providers-tighten-merchant-inspection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3001535/chinas-demand-delivery-providers-tighten-merchant-inspection?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Mar 2019 10:30:19 +0000 Many who have benefited most from China’s economic boom over the past decade have not been shy about flaunting their wealth — providing a boon in sales for luxury goods makers and high-end automakers such as Ferrari and Maserati. Times are changing though and amid the recent economic slowdown more and more ordinary Chinese are turning to the second-hand car market to meet their driving needs. Newly-married Ma Pengxiao is 25 years old, lives in Weinan, a small city in China’s northwestern... https://www.scmp.com/tech/innovation/article/2189017/tech-culture-chinese-consumers-are-buying-cars-online-using-vr?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/innovation/article/2189017/tech-culture-chinese-consumers-are-buying-cars-online-using-vr?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Mar 2019 22:07:00 +0000 Xiaomi, the world’s fourth-biggest smartphone maker, announced the creation of three artificial intelligence-related departments in another reshuffle to transform the company into an AI-driven company. The Beijing-based company promoted Cui Baoqiu, who set up the AI and cloud team in Xiaomi, to vice-president, reporting directly to co-founder and chief executive Lei Jun. Lei also announced the set up of new AI, big data and cloud computing departments, according to a letter provided by the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/2187867/xiaomi-sets-artificial-intelligence-and-big-data-departments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/2187867/xiaomi-sets-artificial-intelligence-and-big-data-departments?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Feb 2019 04:45:49 +0000 The US government’s efforts to pressure its allies against using Huawei Technologies’ 5G telecommunications network equipment have given rise to allegations of intellectual property theft and close ties to the Chinese government. They may also have helped entrench the company’s image as the global leader in the technology among some quarters. “The [media] coverage, seemingly negative by connecting Huawei to security risks, to some extent acknowledges Huawei as a leading global player in 5G... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/2187622/us-ban-huaweis-5g-technology-could-be-blessing-disguise-chinese-brand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/2187622/us-ban-huaweis-5g-technology-could-be-blessing-disguise-chinese-brand?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Feb 2019 12:01:54 +0000 Did Ren Zhengfei just get an olive branch from Donald Trump? After the Huawei Technologies founder said in a BBC interview that there is no way the US can crush the Chinese telecommunications equipment supplier because it is “more advanced” in technology, US President Donald Trump said in a tweet that he wanted the US to “win through competition, not by blocking out currently more advanced technologies”. Ren also said in a CBS interview aired this week that “5G is not an atomic bomb” and that... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/2187204/did-donald-trump-just-give-huawei-pass?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/2187204/did-donald-trump-just-give-huawei-pass?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Feb 2019 01:00:01 +0000 Beijing-based Bytedance, operator of global short video hit app TikTok, known as Douyin in mainland China, has been contacted by authorities for a potential listing on the much-anticipated Technology Innovation Board in Shanghai, according to people familiar with the matter. The seven-year-old start-up started talks with investment banks about its IPO plans last summer. Before the option of listing on the new Shanghai tech board came up, Bytedance was considering either New York or Hong Kong,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2187130/bytedance-said-be-sounded-out-authorities-about-listing-shanghais-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2187130/bytedance-said-be-sounded-out-authorities-about-listing-shanghais-new?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Feb 2019 09:29:46 +0000 Xiaomi, the world’s fourth largest smartphone supplier, launched a new medium-to-high-end model on Wednesday, naming an 18 year old Chinese singer and actor as brand ambassador in a move to shore up slipping sales in the hypercompetitive domestic market. The Mi 9, priced from 2,999 yuan (US$444) is the company’s first smartphone to be launched since it turned its budget Redmi line into an independent brand last month, a move that has enabled it to pursue the high-end segment of the smartphone... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2186972/xiaomi-unveils-new-flagship-phone-naming-chinese-singer-brand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2186972/xiaomi-unveils-new-flagship-phone-naming-chinese-singer-brand?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Feb 2019 10:18:29 +0000 Baidu, operator of China’s largest search engine and a major player in artificial intelligence (AI), more than doubled its number of outside investments last year, bucking a trend that saw a winter chill descend on the venture capital market in the fourth quarter. The Nasdaq-listed company made a total of 92 investments in 2018, compared to 41 the previous year, according to a company source familiar with the matter. Baidu did not immediately respond to an emailed inquiry for comment. Baidu’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2186778/baidu-bucks-capital-winter-play-catch-alibaba-tencent-outside?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2186778/baidu-bucks-capital-winter-play-catch-alibaba-tencent-outside?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Feb 2019 13:03:26 +0000 Xiaomi unseated Samsung Electronics from top spot in India’s smartphone market last year on the back of successful online promotions to consumers, giving the Chinese company 29 per cent of the total market, according to a recent report by IDC. South Korean brand Samsung, which was No 1 in India in 2017, fell to second spot last year with 22 per cent market share. Xiaomi’s total smartphone shipments in India reached 41.1 million last year, representing 59 per cent year-on-year growth. On the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2185785/chinese-smartphone-brands-strengthen-their-grip-india-xiaomi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2185785/chinese-smartphone-brands-strengthen-their-grip-india-xiaomi?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Feb 2019 04:06:01 +0000 The Chinese venture capital market collapsed in January, with both the value and number of deals down more than 60 per cent year on year according to new data, though some see the slump as a necessary “correction” amid tighter regulation and slowing economic growth. Investments last month totalled 29.4 billion yuan (US$4.3 billion), representing a 67.5 per cent year-on-year slide and 31.7 per cent month-on-month slump, according to a report released Monday by China-based researcher... https://www.scmp.com/tech/venture-capital/article/2185709/chinas-easy-money-days-over-value-venture-capital-deals-plunges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/venture-capital/article/2185709/chinas-easy-money-days-over-value-venture-capital-deals-plunges?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Feb 2019 22:00:00 +0000 Asia is now home to many of the world’s most innovative and valuable technology start-ups. Investors have continued to pour capital into these companies, thanks to the implementation of business-friendly policies to help nurture their growth in major Asian cities. Last year, nine out of the 10 largest public venture capital deals involved start-ups in Asia – seven of which were based in China, according to capital market research firm Preqin. The cities in Asia that have succeeded in attracting... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2185092/asian-cities-are-competing-woo-tech-start-ups-incentives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2185092/asian-cities-are-competing-woo-tech-start-ups-incentives?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Feb 2019 22:00:35 +0000 Former Uber Technologies chief executive Travis Kalanick may be considering plans to bring shared kitchens to China, according to people familiar with the matter. Kalanick plans to bring Los Angeles-based CloudKitchens to China to provide food and beverage businesses with real-estate, facilities management, technology and marketing services, the people said, asking not to be named as the plans are not finalised and may still change. The Uber co-founder is partnering with Zhang Yanqi, the former... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2184598/former-uber-ceo-travis-kalanick-said-plot-china-comeback-shared?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2184598/former-uber-ceo-travis-kalanick-said-plot-china-comeback-shared?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Feb 2019 03:33:07 +0000 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... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/2183983/can-wechat-defend-its-social-media-predominance-blocking-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/2183983/can-wechat-defend-its-social-media-predominance-blocking-its?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jan 2019 22:35:27 +0000 While Chinese venture capital funds are suffering from what they see as the “coldest winter” in more than a decade, US dollar funds were able to raise more money to invest in Chinese firms last year, according to a new report. The total amount of US-dollar venture capital raised to invest in the Chinese market in 2018 rose 125 per cent year on year to US$15.5 billion, accounting for almost 35 per cent of the country’s entire market, according to data tracker Zero2IPO. In 2017, US dollars... https://www.scmp.com/tech/venture-capital/article/2183485/us-venture-capital-defies-cold-winter-raise-us155-billion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/venture-capital/article/2183485/us-venture-capital-defies-cold-winter-raise-us155-billion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jan 2019 21:32:29 +0000 ByteDance, which attracted a huge fan base of teenagers with its short video app Tik Tok, is developing a more serious side to its business that the fun-loving younger generation may not care for – online education. The Beijing-based ByteDance, the world’s most valuable unlisted start-up, confirmed on Tuesday that it has acquired certain patents from Chinese smartphone maker Smartisan to “explore the education business”, without disclosing details. The deal will see some Smartisan employees join... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/2183281/bytedance-company-behind-tiktok-video-app-looks-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/2183281/bytedance-company-behind-tiktok-video-app-looks-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jan 2019 04:59:13 +0000 Hainan, an island province known as China’s Hawaii, does not only want to be known for sunshine and beaches: It has set an ambitious goal to become the country’s southern hub for technological innovation. The strategy involves offering tech start-ups free rent, reduced tax rates, easier visa policies, and access to government-backed venture capital funding. The first global tech company to commit to a presence on the island was Microsoft, which signed an MOU with the provincial government in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/2182681/hainan-latest-chinese-free-trade-zone-tech-hub-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/2182681/hainan-latest-chinese-free-trade-zone-tech-hub-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jan 2019 02:00:30 +0000 Chinese online insurer ZhongAn and online-to-offline platform Grab will set up a joint venture in Southeast Asia to sell insurance products to users through the latter’s mobile app. The digital insurance platform would be launched in Singapore in the first half of this year, before being rolled out in other markets, according to a joint release by the two companies. Users would be able to buy insurance through their mobile phones, allowing them to directly browse and pay for the coverage without... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/2182290/grab-and-zhongan-teams-insurance-joint-venture-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/2182290/grab-and-zhongan-teams-insurance-joint-venture-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jan 2019 04:14:57 +0000 ByteDance, the world’s most valuable start-up, has introduced a new video-based social messaging service, “Duoshan”, that aims to become as popular an everyday mobile app in China as Tencent Holdings’ WeChat. Duoshan, which translates to “many flashes”, lets users send text messages and stickers, as well as share images and videos accessible for up to 72 hours, to each other – features that are similar to those of US multimedia messaging app Snapchat and social network Instagram. Senior... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2182226/chinese-tech-unicorn-bytedance-launches-new-social-app-rival-wechat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2182226/chinese-tech-unicorn-bytedance-launches-new-social-app-rival-wechat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jan 2019 13:04:47 +0000 China’s food delivery giant Meituan Dianping is hiring game developers in a sign that the US$30 billion company is preparing to make a foray into video gaming, even as the government seeks to limit the damage that unchecked gaming can have on the mental and physical health of the country’s youth. The Beijing-based firm on Monday posted several game-related job ads on Chinese resume sites, with positions ranging from coders to art designers to producers. On liepin.com, one job opening said... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/2182114/chinese-food-delivery-giant-meituan-prepares-gaming-foray-despite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/2182114/chinese-food-delivery-giant-meituan-prepares-gaming-foray-despite?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jan 2019 05:15:45 +0000 Smartphone giant Xiaomi Corp is looking to sharpen its operations in Europe this year, as the US-China trade war casts a shadow on its expansion plans in the world’s biggest economy. “The European market is our main focus for international expansion this year,” Lei Jun, the chairman and chief executive of Hong Kong-listed Xiaomi, said in an interview in Beijing on Thursday, sidestepping a question about the firm’s activities in the US. “We aim to rank [either] first or second in [the smartphone... https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/2181579/xiaomi-ceo-silent-us-expansion-plan-amid-trade-war-focuses-european?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/gear/article/2181579/xiaomi-ceo-silent-us-expansion-plan-amid-trade-war-focuses-european?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jan 2019 23:04:10 +0000 A pledge by Xiaomi Corp’s major shareholders not to sell any of their stock in the Chinese smartphone maker for another year failed to stem a slide in the share price following the expiry of a six-month IPO lock-up on Wednesday. Xiaomi’s shares fell 6.9 per cent to HK$10.34 on Wednesday in Hong Kong, extending a 7.5 per cent plunge the day earlier. A broader tech slump has wiped out more than half of the company’s market value since its July high. Investors who bought into the IPO at the issue... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/2181305/xiaomi-chairman-lei-juns-pledge-additional-12-month-share-lock-fails-stem-stock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/2181305/xiaomi-chairman-lei-juns-pledge-additional-12-month-share-lock-fails-stem-stock?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jan 2019 04:30:00 +0000