7 Must-Read Tech Stories in China This Week

With spring now in full flow here in China, new tech news developments bloomed as quickly as plum blossoms. Let’s start off with social media:

1. Out of 300 Million Total, Tencent’s WeChat Has 40 Million Overseas Users

Tencent president Martin Lau revealed to delegates at the Boao Forum For Asia that WeChat now has 40 million users outside of China. We’ve been waiting for a statistic like this for a whole year as we tried to gauge the progress of WeChat relative to rival apps like Line and KakaoTalk.

2. A Sneak Peek at Some Games on WeChat’s Social Gaming Platform

Speaking of WeChat, the app will soon get a social gaming platform, much like its afore-mentioned Asia-made competitors.

3. Sina Weibo in Thailand: Way Too Little, Way Too Late

Sticking with the theme of Chinese social media venturing overseas, the Twitter-like Sina Weibo is finally making a push into Southeast Asia. But with the aim of generating more than $1 million in revenue in its first year in Thailand, we don’t see how that’s possible up against both G+ and Twitter.

4. ‘Danger Maps’ Invites You to Map China’s Polluted Areas via New Open-Platform Maps

This nonprofit group has created an open platform for its crowdsourced maps of pollution and environmental hazards in China. These guys sure have taken on a huge workload.

5. New Chinese E-Store Caters to Expats in China, Supports Payments in Bitcoin

This China-based startup has raised eyebrows by accepting payment in Bitcoin. Though it also takes e-payments via more conventional channels, the startup founder explained to us why Bitcoin is a perfect fit for this unique e-store.

6. Chinese Law Proposes Real Name Requirements for All Phone and Mobile Network Connections

You won’t be able to lurk around the interwebs for much longer if China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) gets its way. Its plan is for citizens to have to go through real name registration to set up any kind of phone line or mobile connection in China.