Hi folks, we are back with our weekly edition of China’s Digital Digest, wherein we bring you weekly updates on China’s digital space. The report takes a quick glance at China’s complex and rapidly evolving social media landscape by providing updates on the latest happenings across the social media industry. Here are the major highlights of the report.
1. Douyin Cracks Down on Fake Foreign Accounts Amid Wave of ‘TikTok Refugees’
Douyin, the ByteDance-owned sibling of TikTok that is only available in mainland China, has said it is stepping up efforts to crack down on accounts impersonating overseas users.
In a post on local microblogging platform Weibo, Li Liang, a vice-president of Douyin Group, cautioned that having an overseas IP address does not necessarily indicate a genuine foreign registration. Li’s comments followed rumours that Douyin had opened up registration to international users. Posts with the hashtag #tiktokrefugee had garnered millions of views before the TikTok ban became official on 19th January. Although Douyin and TikTok are both operated by ByteDance, the Chinese version is not available in US app stores.
2. Duolingo Sees a 216% Spike in U.S. Users Learning Mandarin
The threat of TikTok going dark in the US compelled some Americans to start learning Mandarin as they look to communicate on a rival Chinese app.
Duolingo said it had seen roughly 216 percent growth in new Mandarin learners in the US compared to this time last year. The company said this was “a much bigger increase” than that of other languages, even when it came to some of its most popular offerings. Spanish, for example, saw just 40 percent growth in the same period.
Duolingo also asked new users in a survey how they heard about the app, and said it had seen “a corresponding spike in people selecting ‘TikTok’ as their answer”. Duolingo was the 18th most downloaded free app in Apple’s US App Store before the TikTok ban became official on 19th January.
3. ByteDance Launches Trae AI Coding Tool for Developers
ByteDance has introduced Trae (trae.ai), a new AI-powered coding product designed to serve professional developers. Trae represents a shift from copilot to autopilot, enabling greater automation in software development.
Developed by ByteDance’s Singapore-based subsidiary SPRING(SG)PTE.LTD., Trae offers features such as AI-powered Q&A, automated code completion, and agent-driven programming. It assists developers in automating tasks and can even handle end-to-end project development in certain cases. Currently, Trae is available only for macOS, though a Windows version is on the way. Trae supports both Simplified Chinese and English interfaces, with built-in access to GPT-4o and Claude-3.5-Sonnet models for free.
4. ByteDance’s Doubao Launches AI Programming Feature
ByteDance’s Doubao has announced that the computer version and web version of Doubao have newly launched AI programming features.
This feature supports one-click uploading of multiple local code files, real-time importing of GitHub open source repositories, quickly obtaining the complete context of the project without having to copy the code paragraph by paragraph. According to the official introduction, Doubao’s new AI programming feature is equipped with a brand-new code editor that supports immersive reading. Code snippets can be precisely selected for explanation or adjustment, and it is easy to switch directories when viewing code repositories.
In addition, users can also use Doubao to guide self-learning of programming languages, with explanations of concepts + code examples, answering questions at any time, helping you generate, explain, fix and optimize code. For exam preparation and problem-solving practice, use Doubao as a teaching assistant; when encountering errors in the code, Doubao can also troubleshoot and fix them.
5. Tencent Launches AI-Generated Content Detection Tools for Images and Text
Chinese tech giant Tencent has introduced AI-generated image and text detection tools.
Developed by the Zhuque Lab under Tencent‘s Hunyuan Security team, the detection tools utilize advanced AI technology to determine whether an image or text has been AI-generated within seconds. The Zhuque Lab’s detection system distinguishes between authentic and AI-generated images by analyzing their multi-dimensional differences. To ensure high accuracy, the system was trained on a dataset of 1.4 million positive and negative samples, covering diverse generation scenarios.
In addition to images, Zhuque Lab also introduced an AI-generated text detection tool. It analyzes extensive datasets of both human-written and AI-generated text to train models capable of identifying subtle distinctions.
6. JD.Com Introduces Gifting Feature After Alibaba And Tencent
JD.com has introduced a new gift-giving feature on its app ahead of Chinese New Year, offering a seamless way to celebrate via WeChat.
The feature leverages JD’s supply chain to simplify gifting. Users can search “JD Gift” on the app, select a gift, personalize a message, and share it via WeChat. Recipients only need to enter their address, with real-time delivery tracking included. A “Group Gift” option lets users send multiple gifts to a WeChat group, where participants join a lucky draw to claim items.
Moreover, JD Logistics will ensure timely deliveries during the Spring Festival, marking its 13th consecutive year of uninterrupted service, including on New Year’s Eve and Day.
7. “TikTok Refugees” Continue to Pour Into Chinese Social Media App Xiaohongshu
TikTok got an apparent reprieve from being forced to shut down, but Americans were still using and downloading Xiaohongshu, the Chinese social media app that surged in popularity in anticipation of TikTok’s closure.
TikTok, owned by the Chinese internet company ByteDance, went dark in the United States ahead of a federal law requiring it to be sold or banned on 19th January. However, the app soon came back online after President-elect Donald J. Trump said he would issue an executive order to put off a ban once he took office on 20th January. Many questions remain about TikTok’s fate in the United States. For now, Xiaohongshu, which many people are calling RedNote, is leaning into its sudden popularity in the United States.
Xiaohongshu has also added a feature to let users translate posts and comments between Mandarin and English. On 20th January, it was at the top of Apple’s ranking of most downloaded apps, a spot it had held for much of the previous week.
Wrapping Up
The vast and diverse nature of the Chinese Social Media space makes it incredibly challenging to keep a tab on the rapid developments taking place. However, China’s Digital Digest brings you all the latest updates from there to keep you abreast of all the evolving trends.
To delve deeper into the findings of our latest report, click here.
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