Government crackdowns, Xiaomi and its new competitor, and a hokey WeChat ad attacking Mark Zuckerberg topped the news from China this week. Here’s our top picks.
1. Chinese authorities slap down Sina for sexing up the web, arrests made
Some Chinese netizens argue the government’s clampdown on porn is actually just a front for more political purposes – a stern warning to the web giants to tone down dissident speech on their platforms and weaken their influence.
2. Xiaomi set to expand into 10 more countries this year, including India, Indonesia, and Brazil
Xiaomi is aiming to sell a total of 60 million smartphones over the course of this year, more than three times the number it sold in 2013.
3. OnePlus One is a Xiaomi killer, set to launch in 16 countries next month
China’s newest smartphone maker, OnePlus, unveiled its first-ever flagship phone in Beijing today at a price equal to Xiaomi’s flagship Mi3 in China, RMB 2,000 (US$330) for the 16GB version and RMB 2,300 (US$368) for the 64GB.
4. Apple’s greater China revenues approach a record $10 billion, flagship stores to triple in two years
As many expected, this strong growth in greater China appears to originate in part from Apple’s deal with China Mobile, the world’s largest telecom with over 1.24 billion subscribers.
5. Mark Zuckerberg visits his psychotherapist in this bizarre TV ad for WeChat
WeChat has 355 million active users around the world, but it’s safe to say that most of those are in the Greater China area.
6. International tourism: China’s next multibillion-dollar ecommerce industry
The market is quickly consolidating, with those that don’t receive funding quickly being bought up by those that do.This year alone, China’s already witnessed a handful of eight- and nine-digit deals: Here are the two biggest factors behind the industry’s growth: China’s growing middle class means more people can afford to travel overseas, and the country as a whole is getting more accustomed to making travel purchases online.
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