Pandaily's Digest #20220112
Aspiring influencers in China take college courses to achieve their dreams, Chinese share of global chip market grows, WeChat's sister platform for business reaches 180 million active users, and more.
In China, You Can Go to College to Become a Social Media Influencer
As influencers in Europe struggle to balance the weight of selling a brand and remaining “authentic” to their followers, their Chinese counterparts are taking college courses that will help them secure a career path towards the lucrative profession of social media influencers.
SIA: China’s Share of Global Chip Sales Nearing Level of Europe and Japan
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) in the United States released a report on Monday saying that the global chip sales of Chinese mainland companies are increasing, which is mainly due to various tensions between China and the United States, and the former’s efforts to promote the development of its chip industry, including by government subsidies, procurement incentives and other preferential policies.
WeChat’s Corporate Communication Tool Reached 180 Million Active Users
At a new product launch conference held on Tuesday, Huang Tieming, Vice President of WeiXin Group (WXG), announced the latest figures for WeCom, the enterprise version of WeChat. Huang said that the number of active users was 180 million, the number of real enterprises and organizations was 10 million, and the number of WeChat users using WeCom enterprise services was 500 million.
Evergrande Group Cancels Lease of Shenzhen HQ Building
Chinese media outlet The Paper reported on Monday that Evergrande Group has moved out of its headquarters building in Shenzhen, and that the building has removed branding that displays “Evergrande Group.”
Analysis of China’s Passenger Car Market in December 2021
On Tuesday, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) released a report on the country’s passenger car market for the month of December 2021. In the last month of 2021, retail sales of passenger cars reached 2.105 million units, down 7.9% year-on-year while 2.466 million passenger cars were produced, up 7.2% year-on-year.
Alibaba CEO Zhang Yong Resigns as Weibo Director
Leading Chinese microblogging platform Weibo announced on Monday that Chris Tung, CMO of Alibaba Group, has been appointed as a member of the company’s board of directors, and Zhang Yong, CEO of Alibaba, has resigned from the position of company director with immediate effect.
JD.com Opens Two Robotic Shops in the Netherlands
Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com has opened two retail stores in the Netherlands, which the firm says will be manned with robots that prepare and deliver packages, CNBC reported on Monday. These two “robotic shops,” branded Ochama, are located in the cities of Leiden and Rotterdam and mark JD.com’s initial foray into the European market with bricks and mortar locations.
China VC Weekly: Smart Manufacturing, Chips and More
In the previous week’s VC news, Sequoia China and CATL invest in intelligent manufacturing startup AIMS, Xpeng injects funds in a young lidar company, and more.
Dangdang Founder Accuses Luckin Coffee of Monopolizing Ethiopian Coffee Beans
Recently, Li Guoqing, founder of Chinese e-commerce platform Dangdang, released a video questioning Luckin Coffee’s purchase of nearly half of the available Hambella coffee beans, suggesting that the transaction may constitute a hidden monopoly in the upstream supply chain.
Huawei Launches Metaverse Experience in Beijing
The metaverse experience activity jointly launched by Huawei and Beijing Shougang Park went online on Tuesday. Users can enter a new and colorful world by scanning a QR code in the park with their smartphones to enjoy the performance of the Mojia robot band and a cool virtual light show.