8 must-read tech stories in China this week
China’s biggest ever social media IPO – yes, Sina Weibo – was the hot topic of the week, but there were plenty more things happening too.
1. 200 million Chinese people use Tencent’s QQ… at the same time
We always talk about WeChat, but Tencent has another social network that’s huge in China. However, the 15-year-old QQ messenger, which has plateaued in terms of its user numbers, might have hit its final major milestone as 200 million people used the service simultaneously.
2. Xiaomi looks to steal thunder from OnePlus with launch of mysterious new gadget on same day, April 23
A new Chinese phone brand called OnePlus launches its first ever phone next week as it aims to challenge Xiaomi in China and rival the likes of HTC and Samsung around the world. But Xiaomi wants its fans not to notice.
3. Weibo disappoints with low IPO debut, but shares climb after cold start
Weibo’s shares debuted at $16.27 – below their lower $17 guide – on NASDAQ on Thursday. But despite that frosty start, investors warmed up to Weibo pretty quickly.
4. As Weibo launches IPO, here are all the facts and stats you need to know
Speaking of which, check out all the latest figures on China’s Twitter-esque social network.
5. Candy Crush hits China with upcoming tie-in on WeChat
Candy Crush Saga hasn’t performed that well in China so far due to a lack of integration with any local social sites. But that’s about to change.
6. China’s favorite flirty chat app slammed by state media over prostitution
A different messaging app, Momo, is in hot water in its home country this week.
7. Alibaba’s profit doubles to $1.36 billion in Q4 ahead of long-awaited IPO
The Chinese ecommerce juggernaut pulled in US$3.06 billion in revenue in Q4 2013, which is up 66 percent on the same period a year before.
8. LinkedIn’s biggest obstacle in China isn’t censorship, it’s culture
Derek Shen, the newly appointed president of LinkedIn China, says that only six percent of employees in China are happy with their jobs. But it’s still a challenge to get people to network online.
That’s all for this week, folks! For our full spread of China coverage, you might like to subscribe to our China RSS feed.
The post 8 must-read tech stories in China this week appeared first on Tech in Asia.
