https://www.scmp.com/rss/521948/feed Douyin: A leading entity in the social media and technology sector, Beijing-based Douyin is China’s premier short-video platform. Owned by ByteDance, it offers users tools for creating and sharing short videos, live streaming, and integrated e-commerce, including Douyin Store and Douyin Pay. Primarily serving the Chinese market, its target audience is young adults, particularly Gen Z and Millennials in Tier 1 and 2 cities. Douyin is notable for its massive user base, significant e-commerce... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian Chinese toymaker Pop Mart continues to leverage the popularity of its collectibles as it launches two limited-edition Labubu-themed mini-refrigerators on Thursday. Capped at 999 units for each design, the appliances are in high demand, with second-hand resale prices on online platforms up to 80 per cent higher than the original retail price. The two designs, both from The Monsters series, were priced at 5,999 yuan (US$878) each, and they would be available for sale at 10pm on April 30 on... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3351578/pop-mart-comes-cool-idea-red-hot-labubu-mini-fridges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3351578/pop-mart-comes-cool-idea-red-hot-labubu-mini-fridges?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:15:11 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Behind China’s landmark crackdown on the e-commerce and food-delivery sectors lies a darker narrative of resistance, secrecy and violence, after regulators uncovered a vast network of “ghost” bakeries and imposed a record fine on seven major platforms. The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) levied a 3.6 billion yuan (US$528 million) fine on seven platforms run by PDD Holdings, Meituan, JD.com, Alibaba Group Holding and ByteDance, with the probe revealing a hidden office, violent... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3350891/hidden-office-fractured-bone-violent-resistance-behind-chinas-record-food-safety-fine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3350891/hidden-office-fractured-bone-violent-resistance-behind-chinas-record-food-safety-fine?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok and Douyin, saw its net profit plummet by more than 70 per cent in 2025 as it poured money into artificial intelligence, according to Chinese media reports. At the same time, revenue from overseas markets surged by nearly 50 per cent, far outpacing the roughly 20 per cent growth in China, according to reports on Monday by outlets including Securities Times and 36Kr, which cited a person familiar with the matter. For the first time, overseas revenue... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350720/bytedance-profit-plunges-ai-push-tiktok-shop-powers-overseas-growth-reports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350720/bytedance-profit-plunges-ai-push-tiktok-shop-powers-overseas-growth-reports?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:00:11 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang As China’s artificial intelligence sector accelerates, competition for top talent has intensified among major tech companies, with firms increasingly poaching from rivals while also attracting researchers from overseas hubs such as Silicon Valley. A reported high-profile personnel move involving DeepSeek researcher Guo Daya recently drew attention to the sensitivity surrounding AI hiring in China’s tech sector. Guo, a lead researcher on DeepSeek’s R1 model, joined ByteDance’s Seed AI development... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350521/bytedance-tencent-step-ai-talent-battle-amid-reported-departure-deepseek-researcher?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350521/bytedance-tencent-step-ai-talent-battle-amid-reported-departure-deepseek-researcher?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:00:32 +0000 Jane Cai Jane Cai For millennia, the wisdom of Chinese strategist Sun Tzu has guided leaders. His sayings, most famously collected in The Art of War, emphasise deception, careful preparation and understanding both your enemy and yourself. “Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.” “Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” Today, a new master strategist has arisen, though his aphorisms emphasise careless blundering. “If you do not know what... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349792/you-cannot-lose-if-you-do-not-have-goal-viral-wisdom-don-tzu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349792/you-cannot-lose-if-you-do-not-have-goal-viral-wisdom-don-tzu?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 11:00:07 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang Tencent Holdings’ super app WeChat has updated its content governance rules to ban non-human automated publishing, including the use of artificial intelligence and scripts, amid a surge in technologies that can replace human creators. “Official accounts and service accounts must not use AI, scripts, APIs or other automated methods to replace human involvement in content production and distribution,” WeChat said on Thursday via its official platform. The super app, marketed as Weixin on the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349696/tencent-moves-rein-ai-content-flood-wechat-stricter-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349696/tencent-moves-rein-ai-content-flood-wechat-stricter-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:31:11 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong A striking phenomenon is emerging from China as the Middle East conflict presses on: technically skilled civilians are volunteering their expertise online to help Iran counter US military might, without seeking payment or official backing. The trend was vividly illustrated on March 14, when a detailed tutorial on taking down America’s F-35 appeared on Chinese social media and went viral. Created by the account “Laohu Talks World” and subtitled in Persian, the video meticulously explained how... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348619/how-take-down-us-f-35-over-iran-chinese-engineers-prophetic-tutorial-goes-viral?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348619/how-take-down-us-f-35-over-iran-chinese-engineers-prophetic-tutorial-goes-viral?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Ada Li Ada Li Former Chinese gymnast and world champion Wu Liufang has broken her silence after the controversy over her provocative dance videos more than a year ago, saying she turned to live streaming because she felt she had “nowhere else to go”. The 31-year-old Wu rose to national prominence in 2024 after posting dance clips on Douyin – China’s version of TikTok – in which she wore short shorts, miniskirts and stockings. The videos, which attracted tens of thousands of likes before being removed,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3348133/china-ex-gymnast-posted-sexy-videos-she-had-nowhere-else-go-now-has-new-image?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3348133/china-ex-gymnast-posted-sexy-videos-she-had-nowhere-else-go-now-has-new-image?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:30:07 +0000 Jane Cai Jane Cai As the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran continues, Chinese social media is buzzing with condemnations of Washington, expressions of sympathy for Tehran and an outpouring of unsolicited strategic advice. The conflict, which began with the February 28 air strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has dominated the list of trending topics on the country’s main platforms, such as WeChat, Weibo and Douyin. Social media is tightly controlled and most of the comments... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347475/chinese-social-media-awash-criticisms-us-it-possible-go-too-far?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347475/chinese-social-media-awash-criticisms-us-it-possible-go-too-far?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang A White House photo of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appearing to break into a dance at an official function ignited a wave of mockery across Chinese social media on the weekend, with commenters framing her as Washington’s biggest cheerleader. The photograph, the first in an official White House gallery from her summit with US President Donald Trump on Thursday, captures Takaichi in a moment of unbridled exuberance during a welcome reception. Making her first trip to Washington since... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347471/trumps-biggest-cheerleader-why-japans-takaichi-making-waves-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347471/trumps-biggest-cheerleader-why-japans-takaichi-making-waves-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang When an ibuprofen dance challenge went viral on the Chinese social media platform Douyin in late 2022 during the Covid-19 pandemic, shares of the country’s leading ibuprofen maker surged more than 200 per cent in two weeks. Now profits at Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical are plunging, and it is not alone, as drug makers are hit by oversupply and weakening demand. The net profit at Shandong Xinhua, a leading manufacturer and exporter of fever and pain medicines, including ibuprofen, fell 26 per... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3344097/viral-dance-challenge-lifted-chinese-ibuprofen-makers-shares-now-they-are-languishing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3344097/viral-dance-challenge-lifted-chinese-ibuprofen-makers-shares-now-they-are-languishing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 06:00:13 +0000 Wency Chen,Vincent Chow Wency Chen,Vincent Chow China’s leading humanoid robotics companies dominated the opening of this year’s Spring Festival Gala, the annual variety spectacle staged by state broadcaster CCTV that offers a rare nationwide marketing platform akin to the US Super Bowl, highlighting the central role of the industry in Beijing’s industrial policy. Four robotics firms – Hangzhou-based Unitree, Wuxi-based Magiclab, Beijing-based Galbot and Noetix – had announced partnerships with this year’s gala in deals said to be valued at... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343634/chinas-tech-companies-vie-attention-cctvs-festival-gala-years-biggest-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343634/chinas-tech-companies-vie-attention-cctvs-festival-gala-years-biggest-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 22:00:15 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s top market regulator has summoned the country’s leading tech companies to demand an end to “involutionary” competition, at the time when the companies are pouring billions of yuan into a Lunar New Year promotional blitz to win over users for services including artificial intelligence apps. The companies summoned on Friday were Alibaba Group Holding, ByteDance’s Douyin, Baidu, Tencent Holdings, JD.com, Meituan and Taobao Instant Commerce, Alibaba’s on-demand delivery unit, the State... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343614/beijing-warns-tech-giants-curb-involution-amid-ai-giveaway-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343614/beijing-warns-tech-giants-curb-involution-amid-ai-giveaway-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 06:30:07 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang TikTok parent ByteDance’s pre-release of its latest artificial intelligence video model, Seedance 2.0, over the weekend has sent ripples across the tech and video production sectors as competition among Chinese tech titans’ AI apps intensifies. The model – still in beta and available to select users of Jimeng AI, ByteDance’s AI video platform – delivered enhanced lifelike video outputs that blurred the boundary between AI content and reality, offered smoother camera movement and improved visual... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342932/bytedances-new-model-sparks-stock-rally-chinas-ai-video-battle-escalates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342932/bytedances-new-model-sparks-stock-rally-chinas-ai-video-battle-escalates?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 10:30:11 +0000 Iris Deng,Coco Feng Iris Deng,Coco Feng Tencent Holdings’ aggressive red-packet blitz to promote its artificial intelligence chatbot Yuanbao ran into a roadblock on Wednesday from the company’s own super app WeChat, dealing a blow to a US$144 million effort to acquire users for the emerging AI app. WeChat, known as Weixin on the mainland, announced on Wednesday that it would restrict Yuanbao links from opening directly within WeChat, effective immediately, in response to “user feedback and complaints”, according to a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3342324/tencents-giveaway-campaign-ai-chatbot-yuanbao-blocked-tencents-wechat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3342324/tencents-giveaway-campaign-ai-chatbot-yuanbao-blocked-tencents-wechat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 05:01:35 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings aims to replicate the success of WeChat Pay by splashing cash for its artificial intelligence app Yuanbao, but analysts are sceptical about whether subsidies can move the needle in the increasingly crowded market. Yuanbao’s 1 billion yuan (US$144 million) promotional campaign, which gives out cash through digital red packets to drive adoption, kicked off with a high-profile launch on Sunday, as many users woke up to find their WeChat groups flooded with... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342111/red-packet-rumble-will-tencents-cash-giveaway-work-again-crowded-ai-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342111/red-packet-rumble-will-tencents-cash-giveaway-work-again-crowded-ai-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:00:15 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Alibaba Group Holding has joined rivals including Tencent Holdings and Baidu in rolling out Spring Festival red-packet giveaways to drive mass-market adoption of its artificial intelligence apps, committing 3 billion yuan (US$432 million) to spur spending across its ecosystem as it seeks to extend its edge in foundational models to consumer-facing products. The Hangzhou-based e-commerce and AI giant said on Monday that its AI app Qwen would anchor a Spring Festival campaign across its flagship... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342085/alibabas-qwen-ramps-ai-app-race-spring-festival-giveaway-blitz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342085/alibabas-qwen-ramps-ai-app-race-spring-festival-giveaway-blitz?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 08:45:07 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A woman in central China was ordered to apologise to her cheating husband for posting a sarcastic story that damaged his reputation. Niu Na, from Henan province, revealed on social media that she had been married to her husband, Gao Fei, for over 10 years, and they have a daughter together. Niu discovered that Gao, a team leader at a local coal mining company, had been having an affair with a married colleague, surnamed Han, for five years. During this time, Gao used their joint assets to buy... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3340793/china-wife-ordered-apologise-cheating-husband-posting-sarcastic-story-about-infidelity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3340793/china-wife-ordered-apologise-cheating-husband-posting-sarcastic-story-about-infidelity?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 06:00:15 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang An 82-year-old woman from eastern China, affectionately known as the “hardcore grandma,” has captivated many with her remarkable skills in operating field fertilisation drones and her success as a live-streamer selling rice. Born in 1943, Dai Shuying hails from Laomei Village in Xindu Town, Tongcheng, Anhui province. In her youth, she worked as a bookkeeper and was regarded as one of the few “educated individuals” in her village, capable of reading, writing, and performing calculations. While... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3339610/china-hardcore-grandma-gains-fame-farm-fertilisation-drone-skills-and-live-streamer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3339610/china-hardcore-grandma-gains-fame-farm-fertilisation-drone-skills-and-live-streamer?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 10:00:09 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Generative artificial intelligence service Kling AI in December recorded more than US$20 million in sales, which corresponded to an annualised revenue run rate (ARR) of US$240 million, according to Chinese operator Kuaishou Technology. That was more than double Kling AI’s US$100 million ARR in March last year, according to a statement on Tuesday from Bejing-based Kuaishou. ARR is a financial metric used to project a company’s 12-month revenue by extrapolating earnings from a shorter period, like... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339865/video-generation-boom-sees-chinas-kling-ai-post-us240-million-annual-revenue-run-rate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339865/video-generation-boom-sees-chinas-kling-ai-post-us240-million-annual-revenue-run-rate?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:15:11 +0000 Chenfei Zhu Chenfei Zhu For two weeks recently, most of my evenings were spent in Douyin’s live-stream section. On Douyin, TikTok’s sibling platform in China, shopping, entertainment and conversation blur into an endlessly scrollable feed. The most prominent virtual rooms here are for shopping: live-streaming hosts talking at high speed, shouting out discounts. Then come the talent rooms, where people sing, dance, play the guitar or do anything that might keep you there for a few seconds longer. As I watched, more... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339188/where-do-lonely-hearts-china-go-now-late-night-live-streams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339188/where-do-lonely-hearts-china-go-now-late-night-live-streams?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 01:30:15 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese short video giant ByteDance is setting up a “second headquarters” for its flagship Douyin business in Shenzhen, less than a year after its first regional headquarters in the city began operations. Once completed, the new base will support “research and development of core products such as Douyin and Jinri Toutiao, and new business areas such as digital payments”, as well as house “new AI research and SaaS [software-as-a-service] platform service centres to support the buildout of a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3338978/bytedance-boosts-shenzhen-presence-second-headquarters-douyin-operations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3338978/bytedance-boosts-shenzhen-presence-second-headquarters-douyin-operations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 04:05:29 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang ByteDance-owned Doubao remained mainland China’s top consumer artificial intelligence app in December, according to a report, as the country’s Big Tech companies continued to outpace emerging start-ups in this market. Doubao, a ChatGPT-like app, had 155 million weekly active users in the second week of December, according to data released on Tuesday by business intelligence service provider QuestMobile. It said that number was nearly double the 81.56 million total recorded by DeepSeek’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3337650/bytedance-other-major-chinese-tech-firms-dominate-local-consumer-ai-market-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3337650/bytedance-other-major-chinese-tech-firms-dominate-local-consumer-ai-market-report?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang The once-feared Qing dynasty military commander, Oboi, is being transformed into a charming figure by young people in China, becoming a local version of Father Christmas. A recent video circulating on mainland social media showcased Oboi, portrayed by an actor, as Santa Claus at a tourist resort in Zhanjiang, in southern China’s Guangdong province. The resort was adorned with traditional Christmas decorations including artificial snowflakes, Santa hats, and festive gift boxes, which contributed... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3337021/china-santa-claus-how-qing-dynasty-military-figure-cutified-father-christmas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3337021/china-santa-claus-how-qing-dynasty-military-figure-cutified-father-christmas?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 08:00:10 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang ByteDance saw usage of its Doubao large language models (LLMs) rise more than tenfold this year, as more enterprises in China adopt artificial intelligence to increase productivity and reduce operating expenses, according to the head of its cloud computing services unit. “AI is being adopted at an unprecedented speed, and how to make better use of it has become a question all businesses have to answer well,” Tan Dai, president of ByteDance cloud unit Volcano Engine, said in Shanghai on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3336895/bytedance-ai-model-usage-grows-over-tenfold-amid-increased-chinese-enterprise-adoption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3336895/bytedance-ai-model-usage-grows-over-tenfold-amid-increased-chinese-enterprise-adoption?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:00:12 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen ByteDance’s Doubao AI phone – a limited-run handset built with ZTE’s Nubia brand – remained in hot demand and continued to receive frequent software updates, even as the device drew scrutiny over privacy and data security after its debut in early December. ZTE’s online store briefly reopened applications on Tuesday for an “F code” – a so-called “friend code” – that granted priority access to buy the 3,499-yuan (US$497) handset. Marketed as a “technology preview edition”, the device carried a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3336773/bytedance-pushes-frequent-updates-doubao-ai-privacy-concerns-persist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3336773/bytedance-pushes-frequent-updates-doubao-ai-privacy-concerns-persist?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:00:21 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding on Thursday launched its first artificial intelligence glasses in China, as the tech giant seeks to carve out a solid niche in the growing smart wearables market. The Quark AI Glasses, named after the company’s Quark AI assistant, include three versions each of the series’ flagship S1 model and the lightweight G1 model. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. “AI glasses are the intelligent devices that truly usher in a revolution in human-computer interaction in the AI... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3334399/alibaba-launches-us537-quark-ai-glasses-challenge-wearables-meta-xiaomi-rokid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3334399/alibaba-launches-us537-quark-ai-glasses-challenge-wearables-meta-xiaomi-rokid?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 12:11:35 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow US and Chinese artificial intelligence players are ramping up integration of e-commerce solutions in their flagship consumer products in a race to become the “everything app” of the future. OpenAI on Monday unveiled a “shopping research” tool. The function, which can generate detailed shopping guides for ChatGPT users, comes just before the busy holiday shopping season and resembles popular AI shopping services on Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Tmall and Taobao of Alibaba Group Holding.... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3334112/us-chinese-firms-add-ai-shopping-bells-and-whistles-dominate-all-one-apps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3334112/us-chinese-firms-add-ai-shopping-bells-and-whistles-dominate-all-one-apps?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 01:00:15 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s e-commerce giants Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com reported record-breaking sales for the Singles’ Day online shopping festival, as the companies looked to artificial intelligence to help boost sales and traffic amid a sluggish economy. During the event, which ran for almost a month from mid-October, Alibaba’s online retail platforms Taobao and Tmall saw more than 34,000 brands double their sales from a year ago, the company said on Saturday. More than 18,000 brands recorded sales growth... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3333107/ai-puts-wind-sales-singles-day-alibaba-and-jdcom-hit-retail-records?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3333107/ai-puts-wind-sales-singles-day-alibaba-and-jdcom-hit-retail-records?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 11:00:09 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Melody Liu had been in Singapore for just three days when she blew past her 5,000 yuan (HK$5,450) travel budget – and reached for her long-sleeved hooded shirt with attached visor to brave another day in the sweltering heat. “I was so shocked when a 10-minute taxi ride cost more than 100 yuan, because it would cost less than 20 yuan back home,” said the 32-year-old from Harbin in China’s northeast. “I knew that Singapore has a high cost of living, but it’s a different matter to experience... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3331981/chinese-tourists-flock-singapore-da-ka-moments-despite-high-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3331981/chinese-tourists-flock-singapore-da-ka-moments-despite-high-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 00:00:10 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang The long, slender legs of a man from central China have unexpectedly thrust him into the spotlight as he manages his own social media account, attracting collaborations from numerous legging and stocking brands. The 31-year-old, surnamed Xu, hails from Wuhan in Hubei province. Standing 177cm tall and weighing 60kg, he has recently gone viral online for his long, feminine-looking legs, capturing widespread attention. Xu shares videos on Douyin under the username “Xu Moumou,” where he has garnered... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3331372/leggy-chinese-dad-gains-online-fame-slender-limbs-catching-eye-legwear-brands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3331372/leggy-chinese-dad-gains-online-fame-slender-limbs-catching-eye-legwear-brands?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 01:00:31 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Apple CEO Tim Cook is looking forward to launching the company’s artificial intelligence system in China, following the successful effort to release the iPhone Air in the vast market. Capping his six-day visit to the country last week, Cook said at an event in Shanghai on Saturday that AI was “making a difference in people’s lives” and that Apple was “working on getting [Apple Intelligence] into China right now”. No timeline was provided. Apple Intelligence – a built-in AI feature of the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3329686/apple-ceo-tim-cook-pushes-ai-system-launch-china-after-iphone-air-release?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3329686/apple-ceo-tim-cook-pushes-ai-system-launch-china-after-iphone-air-release?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 13:00:08 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang After weeks of standing in front of a boiling pot, the “chicken steak guy” couldn’t take it any more. Last week, he said in a video posted to his personal Douyin account that he would take a day off. He had grown extremely tired, not only from frying chicken nonstop, but also from the demands of his zealous fans. One news report said that during the week-long National Holiday, cornered by people asking for a picture, he exclaimed, “There’s no air, I’m suffocating.” The “chicken steak guy” had... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3329075/chinas-overnight-social-media-stars-are-discovering-flip-side-fame?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3329075/chinas-overnight-social-media-stars-are-discovering-flip-side-fame?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A couple running a traditional herbal medicine shop in southern China have both amused and stunned countless netizens after viral videos revealed their uncanny resemblance, prompting speculation that they might be long-lost twins. Liang Caiyu, the wife, and He Xiansheng, both in their twenties and from Dongguan, Guangdong province, catapulted to fame on social media with short videos showcasing their striking likeness. One viral video on their Douyin account, which has 21,000 followers, titled... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3328984/china-couple-who-look-twins-gain-fame-video-whos-husband-whos-wife?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3328984/china-couple-who-look-twins-gain-fame-video-whos-husband-whos-wife?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 01:00:11 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Apple CEO Tim Cook’s latest visit to China this year turned out to herald the launch of the iPhone Air on the mainland, as the country’s three major telecommunications network operators start commercial trials of the eSIM function on smartphones. China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom each confirmed on Monday that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology approved the eSIM trials, as Cook later that evening joined Apple’s live streaming session on ByteDance-owned platform Douyin... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328992/apple-ceo-tim-cooks-latest-china-visit-powers-promotional-blitz-iphone-air?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328992/apple-ceo-tim-cooks-latest-china-visit-powers-promotional-blitz-iphone-air?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 12:30:17 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Chinese man was arrested for stealing 380,000 yuan (US$53,000) in wedding gift money from a household shortly after their wedding, which he discovered through social media posts about their celebrations. The man, identified by the surname Peng, was apprehended on October 2 at his home in Jiangxi province, eastern China. Peng targeted the victim, also surnamed Peng, after viewing videos of the wedding festivities. He used Douyin, the mainland version of TikTok, to find wedding posts nearby and... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3328589/wig-donning-china-thief-steals-us53000-newlyweds-after-learning-about-pair-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3328589/wig-donning-china-thief-steals-us53000-newlyweds-after-learning-about-pair-online?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 10:00:11 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Chinese retail giant Miniso aims to become a leading player in the designer toy market, as it broadens its digital presence by tailoring e-commerce initiatives to platform-specific consumer behaviours while simultaneously reinforcing its core strength in the offline shopping experience. Miniso was experimenting with product customisation to better align with the unique attributes of various e-commerce platforms in China, capital market director Christina Zhu Mengyun said during a recent... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3327805/chinese-budget-retailer-miniso-bets-big-collectible-designer-toys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3327805/chinese-budget-retailer-miniso-bets-big-collectible-designer-toys?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 02:00:14 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng As China’s National Day holiday approaches, prices of hairy crabs, one of the most popular seasonal gifts at this time of the year, are down markedly as the first batches are delivered to markets across the country. Industry insiders predict that prices will fall further, citing higher production, shrinking gift-giving demand and weak household spending. Businesses and wealthy individuals have long regarded hairy crabs, which are prized for their unique flavour, as an ideal gift for clients and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326980/consumption-doldrums-see-hairy-crab-prices-down-china-eve-golden-week-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326980/consumption-doldrums-see-hairy-crab-prices-down-china-eve-golden-week-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 04:00:16 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Alibaba Group Holding’s competition with Meituan is expanding from instant commerce into the bricks-and-mortar market, as the Hangzhou-based tech conglomerate prepares to offer discounted in-store dining vouchers to consumers on the mainland. That new initiative is expected to start on Saturday in selected districts in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Jiaxing, a city in eastern Zhejiang province, according to a report on Friday by local media outlet LatePost, which cited unnamed sources. Alibaba, owner of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3326190/alibaba-meituan-battle-heats-rivalry-expands-store-dining-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3326190/alibaba-meituan-battle-heats-rivalry-expands-store-dining-report?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:00:14 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial You have fast food and fast fashion, so why not fast soap operas? In our attention-deficit era of TikTok and Douyin, it was only a matter of time before content producers came up with bite-sized dramas that you can watch by scrolling on your smartphone. China has had huge success with the format. Now the industry wants to branch out globally, especially to Southeast Asia and the United States. With the usual themes of romance, revenge and rags-to-riches journeys, mini dramas play like... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3325307/chinas-mini-dramas-may-be-something-big?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3325307/chinas-mini-dramas-may-be-something-big?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Sep 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Phoebe Zhang,Alcott Wei Phoebe Zhang,Alcott Wei A week has passed since China held its Victory Day parade but fans have kept up the national pride momentum by buying missile toys and creating trend videos. Toymakers across Taobao, the country’s biggest e-commerce site, are busy making plush toy versions of the DF-61 and DF-5C domestically made intercontinental ballistic missiles that were unveiled in the September 3 parade. In one shop, a pillow replica of the DF-5C comes in green, brown and white, and in three sizes up to 160cm (61 inches).... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3325309/want-relive-chinese-military-parade-try-cuddly-missile-plushie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3325309/want-relive-chinese-military-parade-try-cuddly-missile-plushie?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 08:00:13 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen DNA sequencers from Chinese firm MGI Tech can rival those from global market leader Illumina in spite of US sanctions, according to Yin Ye, CEO of BGI Group, former parent of the Shenzhen-based biotech company. MGI’s sequencers offer the best “comprehensive value” in terms of time, quality and cost, Yin said in an interview on the sidelines of the BioHK 2025 conference on Thursday. Yin, 46, pointed out that MGI’s latest product, the DNBSEQ-T7+, is “pushing physics and chemistry to the limit”, as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3325235/pushing-physics-limit-mgis-dna-sequencers-gaining-market-bgi-ceo-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3325235/pushing-physics-limit-mgis-dna-sequencers-gaining-market-bgi-ceo-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 23:00:10 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong could struggle with enforcing regulations on labelling artificial intelligence-generated content on social media platforms, experts have said, after mainland China rolled out a new law this week to combat misinformation, deepfakes and copyright issues. Experts told the Post that Hong Kong’s market was too small to adopt an independent set of laws to regulate the use of generative AI, but a rising number of deepfake scams and improper use of the technology reflected a growing urgency... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3324598/hong-kong-face-hurdles-enforcing-rules-labelling-ai-generated-content-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3324598/hong-kong-face-hurdles-enforcing-rules-labelling-ai-generated-content-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Sep 2025 12:00:14 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Major Chinese social media platforms, including Tencent Holdings’ WeChat and ByteDance-owned Douyin, have launched new features to abide by Monday’s roll-out of a new law that mandates labelling of all artificial intelligence-generated content online. The law, which was issued in March, requires explicit and implicit labels for AI-generated text, images, audio, video and other virtual content. Explicit markings must be clearly visible to users, while implicit identifiers – such as digital... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3323959/chinas-social-media-platforms-rush-abide-ai-generated-content-labelling-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3323959/chinas-social-media-platforms-rush-abide-ai-generated-content-labelling-law?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 14:00:14 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Huawei Technologies has opened an account on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, to promote the custom design services of its HiSilicon chip unit, even as the company continues to maintain a cloak of secrecy around its Kirin smartphone and Ascend AI chips. The Douyin account, set up by HiSilicon (Shanghai), said the company aimed to “enable smart devices for a fully connected world.” As of Thursday, it had three posts and nearly 50,000 followers. The first post, published on Wednesday, was a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322685/huawei-opens-douyin-account-promote-hisilicon-shanghai-it-expands-chip-design-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322685/huawei-opens-douyin-account-promote-hisilicon-shanghai-it-expands-chip-design-work?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 12:00:13 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai The massive success of China’s mini dramas at home has prompted the industry to set its sights more squarely on the global market, with ever more studios exploring potential in North America, Southeast Asia and beyond. The productions going overseas include translated Chinese dramas and original ones made with local teams. The push comes as Beijing urges more mainland productions to improve the quality of on-air content. A document released on Monday said more support would be given for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3322495/can-chinas-hugely-popular-mini-dramas-find-success-us-and-other-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3322495/can-chinas-hugely-popular-mini-dramas-find-success-us-and-other-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 01:00:13 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chinese mega dam stops using Western industrial chips over security concerns China’s Xiluodu Dam – one of the world’s largest hydropower stations – has fully transitioned away from Western-made industrial control chips over national... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3321843/china-unveils-cruise-missile-kim-keon-hees-fall-grace-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3321843/china-unveils-cruise-missile-kim-keon-hees-fall-grace-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 04:30:08 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Apple has started testing Douyin Pay as a new mobile payment service on its China App Store, according to mainland media reports, while purportedly leaked images of the iPhone 17 stirred up discussion on Chinese social media this week. Once tests are completed, Douyin Pay is expected to serve as the fourth payment platform on the mainland App Store, after Ant Group’s Alipay, Tencent Holdings’ WeChat Pay and state-run China UnionPay, according to reports on Tuesday by online local media IThome... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3321744/apple-eyes-douyin-pay-mainland-app-store-while-iphone-17-leak-stirs-online-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3321744/apple-eyes-douyin-pay-mainland-app-store-while-iphone-17-leak-stirs-online-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 13:00:10 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Social media giant ByteDance, owner of TikTok and its Chinese sibling Douyin, says the median service length of existing employees was 2.9 years, while their average tenure was three years, the Beijing-based company disclosed at an internal meeting. According to two sources briefed on Thursday’s town hall meeting that was led by co-founder, chairman and CEO Liang Rubo, about half of the firm’s 120,000 employees have spent more than three years there. The median service length of former employees... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3320488/tiktok-owner-bytedance-finds-median-service-length-employees-about-3-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3320488/tiktok-owner-bytedance-finds-median-service-length-employees-about-3-years?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Aug 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Nancy Wang Nancy Wang With over 3.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify and even more on Chinese streaming platforms, Chinese rapper Lan Lao has toppled long-reigning Mandopop king Jay Chou as the most-streamed Mandarin singer. In 2024, the 27-year-old, who also goes by Skai IsYourGod, released his second album Ba fang lai cai – or Stacks from All Sides in English – which went viral on mainland China’s TikTok-like platform Douyin. Today, his fame has spread to Hong Kong, Taiwan and other parts of Asia. Here is what... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3318960/who-lan-lao-chinese-rapper-topples-jay-chou-become-most-streamed-mandarin-singer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3318960/who-lan-lao-chinese-rapper-topples-jay-chou-become-most-streamed-mandarin-singer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 23:15:08 +0000