The National Radio and Television Administration has proposed a range of measures to ‘strengthen and refine management’ of short web dramas, including a sweeping review of each series’ cast, production, marketing and social values.

China needs to develop 1 million artificial intelligence-native applications and less AI large language models, according to Baidu co-founder, chairman and chief executive Robin Li.

Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings reported a profit decline for the third quarter of 2023, still ahead of market estimates, as China’s economic recovery continued to face pressure.

Users of digital wallets from China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom can now make payments by scanning WeChat QR codes, in Tencent’s latest effort to improve interoperability of tech services under Beijing’s directive.

The new policy by major online platforms Weibo, WeChat, Douyin, Kuaishou and Bilibili underscores their commitment to support Beijing’s crackdown on anonymous Chinese social media accounts.

The ban was announced after an assessment that Tencent-owned WeChat and Moscow’s Kaspersky ‘present an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security,’ Canada’s Treasury Board said.

The tech giant announced that it has seen improvements in products such as Tencent Docs and WeChat search after integrating its generative AI model.

The Nostr social media protocol has elicited such enthusiasm in users that there are dedicated podcasts, newsletters and conferences, including in Hong Kong.

Users who click on some advertisements placed on Tencent’s WeChat Channels will be directly taken to Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall, the companies say.

The Chinese internet giant’s foundation artificial intelligence model provides a range of functions, including image creation, copywriting and text recognition, that can be applied in multiple industries.

Call for unification of QR codes comes as the People’s Bank of China pushes to promote the country’s central bank digital currency across all retail use cases.

Li Bei, founder of Shanghai Banxia Investment Management Center, blames foreign funds for the recent sell-off in Chinese stocks, saying they stirred up market volatility and called them “a bunch of aimless flies”.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology requires all mobile app providers to submit their business details to the government or face punishment.

Alipay’s latest initiative, announced ahead of the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, underscores efforts in China to make it easier for foreign tourists to make payments in the country’s cashless society.

WeChat’s short video service Channels brought in US$411.5 million in ad revenue in the second quarter as the app’s monthly users hit 1.327 billion.

Local services offer a new source of growth for Chinese tech companies as some of their bread-and-butter businesses have plateaued.

The lawmaker has drawn Beijing’s ire as a frequent critic and sponsored a motion to declare China’s treatment of Uygurs amounted to genocide.

Parental control functions already exist on many smartphones, while adults make up the bulk of video gaming and social media users.

The journey for some immigrants means flying from China to Ecuador, braving a treacherous 256km rainforest on foot, then traversing Mexico by car and bus before crossing the US border.

WeChat has rejected the findings it is a ‘high-risk’ app, but said it would continue working with the Australian government to iron out security concerns.

The hottest artificial intelligence app in China right now is a portrait generator that creates beautified avatars in different styles, with users waiting up to 24 hours to get the result.

Representatives of WeChat told an Australian inquiry into foreign interference that Beijing did not have access to its platform, which was based in Singapore and bound by the city state’s laws.

Kuaishou, Douyin and WeChat’s Channels are increasingly attractive platforms for influencers and advertisers amid growing popularity.

CEO Elon Musk said the Twitter name made sense as 140 character messages going back and forth – like birds tweeting, but not in his new vision of a WeChat-like super-app.

The X is now the social platform’s homepage logo, CEO Elon Musk’s profile photo and even part of loading animations.

A number of Chinese tech companies are now pushing generative artificial intelligence technology to create more cost-effective virtual live-streaming hosts capable of round-the-clock sessions.

Cryptographer Vanessa Teague urges parliamentary inquiry into foreign interference to ‘think critically’ about submissions that call for a ban on Chinese apps over alleged links to the Communist Party.

In an article published just hours after China unveiled an action plan to invigorate its economy, Ma pledged on behalf of the internet industry to support the government’s latest strategies.