This week we saw all kinds of interesting stuff happen in China. A king stepped off his throne, we talked about 1970s pornography, and QQ got a makeover that made everyone sad. So what are the top stories this week? They are these:
1. Jack Ma’s Last Speech as Alibaba CEO
The king of Chinese e-commerce stepped off his throne after one final oration, and while we’ll still see Jack Ma around, I think it’s definitely worth reflecting on. Also worth checking out the first speech from Alibaba’s new CEO.
2. China’s Top Chat-App Gets a WeChat-Like Makeover, But Everyone Hates It
Well, people like chatting with their friends, and people like WeChat, so making QQ Mobile more like WeChat is a great idea, right? What could go wrong?
3. GREE Shuts Down China Branch
In news that could also go in the Japan This Week list if that was something we actually did, GREE’s China office will shut its doors for good next month, bringing GREE’s China dream to an end.
4. Huawei and ZTE Face More EU Scrutiny: What Are They Doing Wrong?
It’s never good news for Huawei and ZTE, is it? Following the latest news that the EU has threatened the companies with trade duties for illegal subsidies from the Chinese government, we take a look at what has gone so wrong with their overseas ambitions.
5. How China’s Top Video Site Battles the Pirates
Chinese video sites used to be known as a haven for piracy, but these days sites like Youku take piracy very seriously. But how do you stop pirates on a site that gets tons of videos uploaded every day?
6. Netease Planning the World’s First Crowd-Designed FPS Game?
It’ll be hard to know for sure until the game comes out, but I think this post didn’t get the attention it deserved. This is really a unique approach to game design from Netease, something I’ve never seen before at any major developer, and it has the potential to pay off big time in the long term.
7. Tencent Posts Rocketing Profits, Sees 195 Million Active Users on WeChat
If Tencent is making boatloads of money for its other business, it means that it has the needed fuel to pump up WeChat, which now has over 195 million monthly active users.
That’s all for this week, folks. For our full spread of China coverage, you can click here or subscribe to our China RSS.
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