Regular readers will have noticed that we rebranded this week, but it’s business as usual for us. This week we saw Tencent look overseas, a local Pinterest clone hinted at something big, and we realised that no-one wants to leave China Mobile just because it involves changing your phone number.
1. China Mobile breaks 15 million iPhone users
And that’s pretty good going for the company that doesn’t even officially sell the iPhone, and whose 3G network doesn’t even support it.
2. Chinese internet giant Tencent eyes the Indonesian market
One of our bloggers was in Jakarta most of the week, and heard Tencent’s mobile director reveal how the Chinese social media giant was keen to get in on the action in Indonesia.
3. China’s biggest Pinterest clone hints at a tie-up with Alibaba’s eTao
We got a teaser of what might be a major social commerce venture when the CEO of Mogujie, China’s biggest indie Pinterest clone, said he was working with e-commerce giant Alibaba on a new product.
4. Alibaba climbing, Google slipping, in China’s online ad market
Alibaba’s own ad platform turned out to be the biggest grower in 2011 in new stats we looked at from Analysis International. There wasn’t such good news for Google though.
5. NPC rep: The government can’t manufacture Steve Jobs
No, we’re not talking about a RoboJobs here (more’s the pity), but rather how far the Chinese government should go in encouraging entrepreneurs (and when it should butt out).
6. Telcos make $17.9 billion extra by charging for per-minute calls
With China’s Congress now in session, we saw one representative try to bring the hammer down on telcos for their practice of rounding-up your call time – and thereby making money for doing nothing.
That’s all for this week, folks! For our full spread of China coverage subscribe to our China RSS; and don’t forget our growing Google+ page as well. Thanks!
