https://www.scmp.com/rss/517967/feed The latest news on Chinese billionaire businessman William Ding, founder and CEO of NetEase, including Chinese business news and updates. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A Chinese PhD graduate and his wife have turned a Chongqing spicy pea noodle stall in Belgium into a viral sensation, earning more than 1000 euros (US$1,200) a day. According to the mainland outlet Jimu News, graduate Ding, 37, is from Jiangsu province in eastern China. After completing his doctorate in China, he went to Belgium to do postdoctoral research in soil management and crop production. He published around 30 academic papers. Ding met his wife Wang at university and after marrying, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3325011/chinese-phd-student-belgium-earns-us1200-daily-selling-spicy-pea-noodles-wife?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3325011/chinese-phd-student-belgium-earns-us1200-daily-selling-spicy-pea-noodles-wife?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 01:00:09 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan What began as an innocuous university course on pig farming has become Malaysia’s latest viral trend, with hundreds playfully tagging friends as babi – a word that, in Malay, is as much insult as it is animal. It all began when Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Sarawak campus, located in Malaysian Borneo, promoted a one-day course aimed at educating participants about pig rearing. The course advertisement, featuring a cute piglet, quickly ricocheted across Malaysian social media, drawing both laughter... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322193/malaysians-embrace-babi-banter-pig-farming-course-goes-viral?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322193/malaysians-embrace-babi-banter-pig-farming-course-goes-viral?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 06:01:51 +0000 Chinese tech founders had the biggest gains in fortunes among the country’s richest people amid an internet sector rebound this year, but the number and overall wealth of Chinese billionaires continued to drop in the face of broader economic headwinds. Four of the top five Chinese billionaires with the biggest wealth increases this year are tech entrepreneurs, including Pinduoduo founder Colin Huang Zheng, Tencent Holdings’ co-founder and CEO Pony Ma Huateng, miHoYo co-founder Cai Haoyu and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3239156/chinese-tech-founders-bounce-back-huruns-2023-rich-list-number-and-overall-wealth-billionaires-drop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3239156/chinese-tech-founders-bounce-back-huruns-2023-rich-list-number-and-overall-wealth-billionaires-drop?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2023 11:30:09 +0000 Alibaba Group Holding and NetEase, two Big Tech firms based in Zhejiang province in eastern China, are betting their future on artificial intelligence (AI), as they put on a brave face over Washington’s existing trade restrictions on chips and potential curbs on cloud computing services, according to the official Zhejiang Daily newspaper. Daniel Zhang Yong, who will step down as Alibaba’s chairman and CEO in September to focus on running Alibaba Cloud, was quoted as saying that cloud computing... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3226672/alibaba-and-netease-bet-future-ai-despite-looming-us-restrictions-home-province-zhejiang-vows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3226672/alibaba-and-netease-bet-future-ai-despite-looming-us-restrictions-home-province-zhejiang-vows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jul 2023 23:00:11 +0000 NetEase reported a 53.7 per cent surge in first quarter profit amid a recent market recovery, as the country’s long-time No.2 Chinese video games company continues to fend off increased competition from Genshin Impact developer miHoYo in the world’s largest video gaming market. The Hangzhou-based company on Thursday reported net profit of 6.8 billion yuan (US$983.6 million) for the three months to end-March, beating the US$716.6 million consensus estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. That... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3221957/netease-reports-strong-first-quarter-profit-growth-it-jostles-mihoyo-no2-spot-chinas-recovering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3221957/netease-reports-strong-first-quarter-profit-growth-it-jostles-mihoyo-no2-spot-chinas-recovering?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 May 2023 11:30:08 +0000 A senior NetEase executive has said the video games company will not be releasing any games with overseas studios until at least 2025, following its protracted break-up with US outfit Blizzard Entertainment. Charles Yang Zhaoxuan, chief financial officer of China’s second-biggest video games firm, said in an earnings call on Thursday that while it is still investing in overseas studios, it will be 2025 at the earliest before any overseas game is ready for the market. As such, the company’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3211472/netease-says-it-does-not-expect-launch-any-new-video-games-overseas-studios-until-least-2025-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3211472/netease-says-it-does-not-expect-launch-any-new-video-games-overseas-studios-until-least-2025-after?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Feb 2023 11:31:10 +0000 Top executives from China’s largest internet companies met officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), one of the nation’s major technology industry regulators, to discuss ways to push forward the “high-quality development of the internet sector”. The symposium, held on Friday in Beijing, was attended by MIIT deputy head Zhang Yunming, Tencent Holdings founder and CEO Pony Ma Huateng, Baidu co-founder and CEO Robin Li Yanhong, Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun, and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3210753/chinas-tech-regulator-meets-top-bosses-didi-baidu-tencent-xiaomi-netease-beijing-eases-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3210753/chinas-tech-regulator-meets-top-bosses-didi-baidu-tencent-xiaomi-netease-beijing-eases-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Feb 2023 10:00:20 +0000 On the day that Petr Wang, a 24-year-old university student living in southeast China, found out that US game developer Blizzard Entertainment was ending its 14-year licensing partnership with NetEase to bring its popular titles on the mainland, he decided it was time to abandon StarCraft. It was a hard decision for Wang, who became a fan of the military sci-fi franchise at age 11 and still has cherished memories of watching live streams of the game. “I was disappointed, angry and a bit numb,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3207602/blizzard-game-fans-china-bid-farewell-beloved-titles-world-warcraft-licensing-pact-netease-ends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3207602/blizzard-game-fans-china-bid-farewell-beloved-titles-world-warcraft-licensing-pact-netease-ends?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jan 2023 01:00:18 +0000 Several of China’s biggest names in technology have stepped down from their delegate roles in China’s top political advisory body, which announced its latest list of members on Wednesday. Robin Li Yanhong, co-founder and CEO of internet search and artificial intelligence giant Baidu; William Ding Lei, founder and CEO of China’s second-largest video gaming firm by revenue NetEase; and Wang Xiaochuan, founder of the country’s second-largest search engine Sogou, are not among the 2,172 delegates of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3207284/big-tech-cppcc-baidus-robin-li-neteases-ding-lei-no-longer-delegates-chinas-top-political-advisory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3207284/big-tech-cppcc-baidus-robin-li-neteases-ding-lei-no-longer-delegates-chinas-top-political-advisory?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jan 2023 12:15:12 +0000 Chinese video gaming giant NetEase is disbanding the local team responsible for operating titles licensed from US game publisher Blizzard Entertainment, according to three people familiar with the matter, as the two parties put an end to one of the most profitable and enduring US-China business partnerships in the world’s largest video gaming market. The Shanghai-based unit under Shanghai EaseNet Network Technology, an affiliate of NetEase – China’s second-largest video gaming company by revenue... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3206753/netease-team-handling-blizzard-games-china-dissolve-14-year-partnership-comes-end?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3206753/netease-team-handling-blizzard-games-china-dissolve-14-year-partnership-comes-end?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jan 2023 12:30:16 +0000 Chinese internet and video gaming giant NetEase is collaborating with a unit of China State Construction Engineering Corp to jointly develop and promote the wider use of smart robots in the construction industry. Fuxi Lab, the artificial intelligence (AI) arm of NetEase Games, signed an agreement with the China Construction Eighth Engineering Division (CCEED), a unit of the world’s largest construction company by revenue, to pursue joint research and development of smart robots as well as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3202753/netease-doubles-down-video-gaming-tech-adoption-major-deal-develop-smart-robots-chinas-construction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3202753/netease-doubles-down-video-gaming-tech-adoption-major-deal-develop-smart-robots-chinas-construction?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Dec 2022 11:00:44 +0000 The end of the 14-year licensing agreement between Chinese video gaming giant NetEase and US game publisher Blizzard Entertainment has raised speculation on the potential next moves of the two companies, as gamers on the mainland mourn a break-up that will become official early next year. Hangzhou-based NetEase and Blizzard Entertainment, a subsidiary of video game holding company Activision Blizzard, on Thursday separately announced that the publishing licence covering several... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3200187/netease-blizzard-break-raises-speculation-next-china-operator-world-warcraft-other-us-games-amid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3200187/netease-blizzard-break-raises-speculation-next-china-operator-world-warcraft-other-us-games-amid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Nov 2022 15:30:12 +0000 Sales in China’s video gaming market have dropped to the lowest level in at least seven months amid a weaker economy and shrinking user demand, with the mobile gaming sector plunging by nearly 30 per cent in August, according to a new report. Total sales in China’s video gaming market dropped 21.91 per cent to 20 billion yuan (US$2.79 billion) in August, on the back of shrinking gaming time and less consumer spending, according to a report released last Friday by research firm Gamma Data. Mobile... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3193983/chinas-video-gaming-market-suffers-cold-summer-sales-drop-lowest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3193983/chinas-video-gaming-market-suffers-cold-summer-sales-drop-lowest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Sep 2022 14:30:07 +0000 William Ding Lei, founder of China’s second-largest video gaming company NetEase, has relinquished his roles as legal representative and executive chairman of one of the firm’s gaming affiliates, according to information from business registration tracking platform Tianyancha. Ding’s retreat from Shanghai NetEase Network Technology Development Limited comes days after it emerged that Lei Jun, founder of smartphone giant Xiaomi, was no longer the chief executive of the company’s gaming unit,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3184166/neteases-william-ding-and-xiaomis-lei-jun-relinquish-corporate-roles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3184166/neteases-william-ding-and-xiaomis-lei-jun-relinquish-corporate-roles?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Jul 2022 09:30:25 +0000 NetEase, China’s second-largest video gaming company, is ramping up efforts to commercialise Yaotai, its immersive virtual conference platform, as competition in metaverse-related products intensifies in the world’s second-largest economy. Hangzhou-based NetEase plans to introduce a smartphone app of the virtual meeting platform as early as August to help expand its user base, NetEase Yaotai head Liu Bai said in an interview earlier this month. “Yaotai’s technological foundation is consistent... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3182420/netease-launch-app-virtual-meeting-platform-yaotai-august-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3182420/netease-launch-app-virtual-meeting-platform-yaotai-august-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jun 2022 04:00:28 +0000 China’s video gaming regulator did not announce any new titles approved for sale in the mainland for May, dashing hopes that the 45-game list issued in April signalled more regulatory leniency after an eight-month licensing freeze. The National Press and Publication Administration, the authority responsible for licensing video games, has typically issued a list of newly approved titles every month, with the exception of two months-long licensing freezes since 2018. The list’s absence in May is... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3179894/china-video-gaming-crackdown-no-new-titles-approved-may-signalling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3179894/china-video-gaming-crackdown-no-new-titles-approved-may-signalling?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 May 2022 15:00:22 +0000 Tencent Holdings, China’s most valuable tech company, reshuffled its news service operation this week, changing the unit’s head and removing a handful of veteran editorial staff from their roles amid a tougher regulatory environment and increased competition. In an internal notice issued on Monday, Tencent announced it had appointed He Yijin, a video product expert, as the new head of Tencent News and editor-in-chief of the company’s news portal, according to people briefed on the restructuring,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3179468/tencent-restructures-its-news-team-online-censorship-and-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3179468/tencent-restructures-its-news-team-online-censorship-and-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 May 2022 01:00:21 +0000 Top Chinese communist party officials, including vice premier Liu He and No 4 party ranking member Wang Yang, met Big Tech leaders on Tuesday to encourage them to play a constructive role in the national economy, sending a signal of support to the Chinese tech sector after 18 months of regulatory crackdowns. The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country’s top political advisory body, held a special symposium on Tuesday to promote the digital economy, confirming... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3178017/chinas-top-political-advisory-body-hosts-special-symposium-help?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3178017/chinas-top-political-advisory-body-hosts-special-symposium-help?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 May 2022 03:28:32 +0000 NetEase, China’s second-largest video gaming company, has launched its first US studio in Austin, Texas, marking another move overseas by a Chinese games developer as the domestic market turns increasingly hostile. NetEase Games, the online games division of Nasdaq-listed NetEase, said in a release on Thursday that the US studio, Jackalope Games, will be led by veteran American game designer Jack Emmert, who has worked on City of Heroes, Neverwinter, Star Trek Online, and DC Universe... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3176659/netease-launches-first-us-studio-texas-chinas-second-largest-video?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3176659/netease-launches-first-us-studio-texas-chinas-second-largest-video?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 May 2022 11:25:50 +0000 NetEase founder and chief executive William Ding Lei, one of the pioneers of China’s internet industry, has relinquished his roles at the company’s media subsidiary, joining other Big Tech leaders who have scaled back their corporate duties amid a tightened regulatory regime. Ding, 50, recently stepped down as the legal representative, general manager and director of Beijing NetEase Media Co, according to corporate registry tracking firm Tianyancha. He was replaced by Li Li, chief executive of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3175710/netease-ceo-william-ding-relinquishes-corporate-roles-subsidiary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3175710/netease-ceo-william-ding-relinquishes-corporate-roles-subsidiary?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Apr 2022 13:00:13 +0000 China’s extended freeze on new video game licences is set to enter its ninth month, raising speculation that this could surpass the previous record length of delay, which would put more pressure on the market and its many small developers, according to industry insiders and recent local media reports. Some firms in the industry had hoped that the suspension of new licences could be lifted in April, while others expected the process to be in limbo until this autumn, according to a video gaming... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3171422/china-gaming-crackdown-latest-freeze-new-video-game-licences-could?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3171422/china-gaming-crackdown-latest-freeze-new-video-game-licences-could?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Mar 2022 12:00:26 +0000 Multiple delegates at this year’s “two sessions”, China’s largest annual political gathering, have suggested the government tighten its control over video games to keep minors away from such content, signalling that there is little political appetite for pushing to ease restrictions on the industry. The National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the two bodies currently meeting in Beijing, are not directly involved in policymaking for the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3169583/two-sessions-2022-chinas-video-game-crackdown-shows-no-signs-easing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3169583/two-sessions-2022-chinas-video-game-crackdown-shows-no-signs-easing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Mar 2022 14:00:22 +0000 Microsoft is adding new employees in China to help Chinese video game studios and publishers expand overseas through its Xbox, according to an executive at the US software giant’s gaming unit. The new team will help game developers in China “reach a wider global audience”, Rod Chang, senior director of Microsoft’s Asia Gaming department, said in a LinkedIn post last week. Chang was lead producer for Xbox games’ State of Decay and Skulls of the Shogun, and director for Minecraft’s China edition,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3168273/microsoft-creates-new-team-china-help-local-video-game-developers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3168273/microsoft-creates-new-team-china-help-local-video-game-developers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Feb 2022 14:00:24 +0000