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. Weibo Takes Down Fake Images Showing A Rapidly Aging Pony Ma
Chinese social media platform Weibo has deleted a number of accounts publishing and spreading a retouched photo of a grey-haired and wrinkle-faced Pony Ma Huateng, Tencent Holdings’ founder and CEO, in the latest example of efforts to protect the country’s top entrepreneurs from online abuse.
The fake photos, which showed Ma looking much older than his real age of 52 and tried to suggest that he had aged rapidly due to pressure, drew attention as he and other Chinese tech founders have rarely appeared in public in recent years. The latest glimpse of Ma in public was on March 22, when state television showed him attending an All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce meeting chaired by Shi Taifeng, the head of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. In that video clip, Ma has black hair and looks to be in good health.
2. PDD Beats Quarterly Revenue Estimates As Temu Shines
Discount e-commerce giant PDD Holdings beat estimates for fourth-quarter revenue, driven by robust user growth and sales at its global platform Temu.
PDD reported revenue of 88.88 billion yuan (US$12.35 billion) for the three months to December 31, compared with an average analyst estimate of 79.23 billion yuan. The last quarter’s year-on-year revenue growth of 123 percent follows a 94 percent increase in the third quarter, with both comparable periods in 2022 impacted by China’s strict pandemic controls. PDD has been gaining market share with highly competitive pricing on its Pinduoduo platform in China and overseas with Temu as cost-conscious customers continue to spend conservatively amid economic headwinds.
3. Alibaba Brings 5-Day Delivery to The US in Race Against Shein, Temu
Alibaba Group Holding has expanded its “five-day delivery” service to the US, as the Chinese e-commerce giant faces intensified competition against Temu and Shein in the world’s largest economy.
Customers who place an order in the US on AliExpress, Alibaba’s international e-commerce platform, can now expect to receive their parcel in five days, delivered by Cainiao, the Alibaba logistics unit said. Cainiao and AliExpress jointly launched their five-day global e-commerce delivery services last year. Coverage has since been expanded to cover Germany, France, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and the US.
4. Baidu to Provide AI Capabilities for Apple’s New Releases in China
Chinese media has reported that Baidu will provide AI capabilities for Apple’s iPhone 16, Mac systems, and iOS 18, which are to be released this year.
Apple had discussions with Alibaba and another domestic large model company, but finally decided to have this service provided by Baidu. It is understood that Apple expects to charge via API interfaces. The adoption of domestic large-model AI features in Apple devices such as iPhones sold in China is mainly due to compliance requirements. The company cannot solve the compliance issue in the short term, but the AI capabilities of iPhones and other devices sold abroad all come from Apple’s own large model.
5. Chinese Q&A Platform Zhihu Releases AI Search Function
The founder, chairman, and CEO of Chinese Q&A platform Zhihu, Zhou Yuan, has released the community AI feature "Discovery·AI Search", a new product for Zhihu's C-end users.
From the on-site demonstration, this product can not only answer knowledge accumulated in history but also provide answers to the latest technological developments, enabling search, real-time Q&A, and follow-up questioning functions. According to insiders close to Zhihu, since last year, Zhihu has been continuously exploring AI. Compared to the previous "Hot List Summary" and "Intelligent Headlines", this search product is the result of deeper thinking.
6. TikTok Announces Youth Council To Improve Safety Measures
TikTok is launching a global Youth Council to improve online safety for teens. This council will work alongside experts to create a safer and more inclusive app.
The announcement comes after research showed a need for more open communication between teens and parents about online safety. Only half of UK teens talk to their parents about online platforms monthly, and many avoid uncomfortable topics like body image. The Youth Council, created in partnership with Praesidio Safeguarding, a specialist online safety agency, consists of 15 teenagers aged 15-18 from diverse backgrounds and countries including the US, UK, Brazil, Indonesia, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, and Morocco. The council has already held two meetings, with the most recent one attended by TikTok CEO Shou Chew.
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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