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China ICT (Info Communications Technology) Industry, Infra, Commerce, Exports: News & Discussions

Mobile app helps China recover hundreds of missing children

A mobile app helped Chinese authorities recover hundreds of missing children last year, Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday, in a country where child trafficking is rampant.

The Ministry of Public Security said 611 missing children were found last year, Xinhua said.

The "Tuanyuan", or "reunion" in Chinese, app developed by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd was launched in May and has allowed police officers to share information and work together.

Users near the location where a child has disappeared receive push notifications, including photos and descriptions. Notifications are sent to users farther and farther from the location of the disappearance if the child is still not found.

A new version of the app in November has expanded its reach through cooperation with other popular mobile apps, such as Alibaba's online shopping website Taobao, search engine Baidu, Tencent Holdings Ltd's instant messaging software QQ and mobile ride-sharing platform Didi Chuxing.

Child trafficking is common in China, where population control policies, although recently relaxed, have bolstered a traditional bias for male offspring.

Boys are seen as the main support for elderly parents and heirs to the family name. This has resulted in abortions, killings or abandonment of girls.

The imbalance has created criminal demand for abducted or bought baby boys, but also for baby girls destined to be future brides attracting rich dowries.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1313065/mobile-app-helps-china-recover-hundreds-of-missing-children
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China takes fight against child abduction online
2017-02-04 18:40 Xinhua Editor: Wang Fan

China's Ministry of Public Security announced Saturday that 611 missing children were found last year, following the launch of an app in May.

During the period, 648 updates on missing children were posted. Of the 611, 27 had been abducted and 358 had run away from home, according to the ministry.

A new version of the platform that went live in November has expanded its reach through cooperation with other popular mobile apps, such as Amap,Taobao, Baidu, QQ and Didi Chuxing.

Users near where a child disappears receive push notifications, including photos and descriptions. The scope of these push notifications will be expanded over time.
 
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http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/tech/2017-02/07/content_28120760.htm
Tech giants brand value on the up
By JING SHUIYU | China Daily | Updated: 2017-02-07 07:20
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Alibaba's Executive Chairman Jack Ma delivers a speech at an investor conference at the company's headquarters in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, June 14, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese technology giants' brand value gained momentum and financial service companies are in pole position in the global brand league table, according to a report.

Fifty-five Chinese companies made to the list of the world's 500 most valuable brands this year, with the technology sector soaring in value.

Three tech powerhouses-Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and Tencent Holdings Ltd-were in the top 50 and realized double-digit growth in their brand value, according to a study conducted by United Kingdom-based consulting firm Brand Finance.

Brand Finance CEO David Haigh said: "Chinese tech brands are even more embedded in the daily lives of their users than Western brands are, while the diversity of services offered by brands such as WeChat maximizes the commercial potential of their brands."

Alibaba reached a peak brand value of $34.8 billion, up 94 percent year-on-year, making it the world's 23rd most valuable brand and China's most valuable internet company brand.

Huawei and Tencent also grew impressively in brand value, rising 27.8 percent and 123 percent, respectively.

In terms of financial brands, the study showed that Chinese banks' brand value growth has been rapidly outpacing that of European and North American competitors.

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, now ranks 10th, ousting US bank Wells Fargo as the most valuable bank in the world.

The consulting firm attributed the industry's growth to "vast population, organic expansion, foreign M& A activity and positive relationships with Chinese consumers".

Likewise, Ping An Insurance held sway as the world's most valuable insurance brand, increasing 11 percent in value to $6.2 billion.

This year Google overtook Apple as the most valuable brand across all industries, with a value of $109 billion.

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JD reported to plan for banking license
By Fan Feifei | China Daily | Updated: 2017-02-04 09:30
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View of the stand of JD Finance of Chinese online retailer JD.com during an exhibition in Shanghai, Nov 4, 2016. [Photo/IC]

JD.com Inc, China's second-biggest e-commerce player, said on Friday it is carrying out work related to financial service licenses, after media reports said the internet giant is willing to cooperate with a domestic traditional bank to open a direct bank, engaging in direct banking business as a separate legal entity.

A direct bank is a bank without any branch network that offers its services remotely via online banking and telephone banking and may also provide access via ATMs (often through interbank network alliances), mail and mobile.

JD on Friday declined to comment on the reports and would not disclose details.

It is not the first time that internet companies have engaged in direct online banking in China. In January, internet search provider Baidu Inc and China CITIC Bank announced they had received approval from the China Banking Regulatory Commission in relation to the establishment of Baixin Bank, an online direct bank both companies had invested in.

CITIC will hold a 70 percent stake in Baixin and Baidu will have a 30 percent share.

In 2015, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's financial arm, Ant Financial Services Group, launched an online private bank called MYbank, which focuses on providing financial services to small and micro businesses and young entrepreneurs.

Internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd also launched an online bank called WeBank.

Dong Ximiao, executive president of the Hengfeng Bank Institute, said most of the domestic direct banks exist as an internal department of a bank, some even as a secondary unit affiliated to the e-banking department or personal finance department.

However, a direct bank should be a separate legal entity according to international practice, Dong said.

Basing on the majority of investment accounts, China is said to be the global leader in financial technology and Internet banking investments.

Financial technology (orfintech) attracted around half of all the total Chinese venture capital last year and major Internet banks have performed well financially relative to other startups.

Other Chinese companies are following this trend.Xiaomi, one of China’s biggest online smartphone vendors, bought a 30 percent stake in Sichuan XW Bank last December. Sichuan XW Bank is a major Internet bank in China that leverages data to target consumers and small businesses.

Meituan.com, a website that specializes in offering group-buy options to consumers, also formed Julin Yilian Bank, and received its banking licenses last Dec. 2016.

According to a joint report by the DBS bank and consultancy firm EY, fintech investments surged to about $8.8 billion in just 12 months.

Ant Financial is said to have raised $4.5 billion in early 2016. This is the largest single private placement in financial technology history, which boosted the company's valuation to $60 billion.

The traditional banking industry in China is the biggest growth enabler of fintech, as major banks generally focus on serving state-owned enterprises, large private companies and local and regional governments. The under-served sectors have been a major benefactor of Internet banks in recent years.
 
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http://www.reuters.com/article/tencent-holdings-publishing-ipo-idUSL4N1FR2E2
Mon Feb 6, 2017 | 2:09am EST
Tencent-backed China Reading plans up to $800 mln 2017 IPO-IFR

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Feb 6 China Reading, the country's largest online publishing and e-book company, plans to raise up to $800 million in an initial public offering in 2017, IFR reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the plans.

China Reading, which is backed by China's biggest social network and online entertainment firm Tencent Holdings Ltd, is in the process of selecting underwriters for the IPO and is considering Hong Kong as a likely listing venue,added IFR, a Thomson Reuters publication.

The company, also known as Yuewen Group, hasn't yet finalised a total fundraising target, but the deal could range between $600 million and $800 million, one of the people told IFR.

Tencent didn't immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment on the China Reading IPO plans.

China Reading was formed in 2015, when a Tencent unit took over Shanda Cloudary. (Reporting by Fiona Lau of IFR; Writing by Elzio Barreto;Editing by Kim Coghill)

You know, my bro, around 2010, when I was an MA in the US, Google was moaning, kicking dust, and threatening China with pulling from China and, on the internet, you would think there was going to be a revolution just because China was readying to kick the law-breaking foreign company and its extensions out of the land.

I think @grey boy 2 remembers this.

Beijing did not take a step back.

Of course, nothing happened, and Google and its likes were firmly booted out. Some commentators on very high places (as high as Forbes) argued that China's replacements for the likes of Google, FB or Twitter (grabbed by its **** and violated by Trump now every midnight) would never rise.

They argued that Tencent would never have indigenous technology. Baidu would never have good algorithms. Weibo would never be as good as Twitter. Youku or Tudou would never be as good as YouTube. We would be doomed, cast out, and left in cold without the immense knowledge a Google would give you.

It was like: either google, or no SSCI paper to be ever written in China. Indians were particularly ecstatic because now they, and they only, would enjoy the fruits of freedom and Google-created heavenly knowledge.

It, however, did not turn out how they believed it would. Now China has billion Yuan companies in every conceivable area of the internet sector. Now they are, in fact, grabbing up Indian and other companies.

Talking about scientific, pragmatic, visionary governance.
 
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European consumers prefer to buy online from China: survey

(People's Daily Online) February 08, 2017

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(Photo/Xinhua)

A survey released recently by the International Post Corporation (IPC) indicated that purchases made through Amazon, eBay and Alibaba occupy two-thirds of global cross-border e-commerce. China leads as the most popular market for consumers around the world, accounting for 26 percent of recent cross-border purchases, Beijing Business Today reported on Feb. 6.

IPC sent questionnaires to over 24,000 consumers in 26 markets across North America, the Asia-Pacific and Europe. Statistics shows that, compared with consumers in other countries, Chinese people are more likely to shop online, with 36 percent buying something online at least once a week.

Free delivery and return policies are important elements driving cross-border e-commerce. Chinese consumers enjoy the largest number of free deliveries anywhere in the world, accounting for 78 percent of the total.

China is the most popular market for online consumers, followed by the U.S., Germany and U.K. The U.S. and China are the main markets for cross-border e-commerce in the Asia-Pacific and Canada. European consumers buy most from the Chinese market. However, residents of Luxembourg, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland mainly buy from neighboring countries, which share a common language.

The top four product categories purchased through cross-border e-commerce are shoes, hats and clothes; consumer electronics; books, music and media; and health and beauty. Most of the commodities are relatively light and inexpensive.
 
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http://en.people.cn/n3/2017/0213/c90000-9176988.html
Chinese top world's online shoppers
(China Daily) 08:35, February 13, 2017

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A 22-year-old online buyer in Moscow checks her dress bought from a Chinese e-commerce platform on Nov 3, 2016. BAI XUEQI/XINHUA

Survey reveals 36% of nationals buy from digital shops at least once a week

The Chinese are more likely to shop online than consumers from any other country, according to the latest survey by the International Post Corporation, a Brussels-headquartered association on postal services.

In the second annual study of 24,000 respondents in 26 markets across North America, the Asia-Pacific and Europe, the IPC found that 36 percent of Chinese buy from digital sites at least once a week, a frequency far outstripping peer buyers.

China is also the most popular market for consumers around the world to shop from, accounting for 26 percent of most recent cross-border purchases, followed by the United States with 16 percent, Germany's 15 percent and the United Kingdom's 15 percent.

Purchases from China are more popular with younger people and women, while purchases from Germany receive warmer welcome by men and the elderly, the international study found.

Online marketplaces such as Amazon.com Inc, eBay Inc and Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd were the most sought-after avenues for buyers from almost all countries, accounting for around two-thirds of all cross-border purchases, the study said.

When analyzing the results by age, Alibaba's sites, including Alibaba.com and AliExpress, were notably favored by younger e-shoppers, while eBay was chosen by those aged 35-54.

China was the overall favored market for Europeans, but notable differences were seen in Luxembourg, Belgium, Austria or Switzerland where customers mainly bought from neighboring countries with a shared language. Meanwhile, the US and China were the main markets cross-border shoppers bought from in the Asia-Pacific region and in Canada.

The top four categories bought through cross-border transactions are clothing, footwear and apparel (33 percent), consumer electronics (21 percent), books, music and media (14 percent) and health and beauty (13 percent).

When looking at the value of items bought by cross-border online shoppers, most were low-weight and low-value items, with 45 percent weighing less than 500 grams and 16 percent valued less than 10 euros ($10.7), with a further 40 percent valued between 10 euros and 49 euros.

The survey also indicated that clear information about delivery charges, free returns and free delivery over a particular value, were the most important drivers for cross-border online shoppers.

It found that consumers were more likely to pay a premium for tracking rather than for speed of delivery. They preferred to pay for delivery of a tracked item that took five to eight days for delivery than an untracked item that took three to four days.

About 70 percent of cross-border online shoppers were offered tracking and 88 percent used it, mostly in the interim stage, to check on delivery progress.

Almost three-quarters of shoppers used the post for their most recent cross-border purchases. Overall, 87 percent were satisfied with their delivery experience. Only 6 percent returned their cross-border purchase, mostly using the post for the return.

The survey also looked at consumer delivery experiences, finding that most cross-border purchases had free shipping.

Around 59 percent of respondents received free shipping for their most recent cross-border e-commerce purchases, citing retail offers, promotions, product value and loyalty programs as key reasons. Chinese consumers benefited the most from free shipping, with 78 percent enjoying zero payment for parcel deliveries.

China's logistics sector is worth a total of $2.2 trillion, against the global sector's total value of $9 trillion, according to logistics consultancy Armstrong & Associates.

Of that, express deliveries bolstered by e-commerce accounted for $43.5 billion last year and was the fastest-growing segment, the consultancy said
 
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China's logistics sector is worth a total of $2.2 trillion, against the global sector's total value of $9 trillion, according to logistics consultancy Armstrong & Associates.
Burgeoning E-commerce is beneficial to numerous industries in the country, creating millions of pertinent jobs and facilitating technological breakthroughs.

 
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http://gbtimes.com/business/chinas-sina-weibo-becomes-more-valuable-twitter
China’s Sina Weibo becomes more valuable than Twitter
GBTIMES
2017/02/13


China's Weibo has for the first time surpassed Twitter in market capitalisation. (Photo: Zhen Huai, China Daily)


Chinese microblogging platform Sina Weibo has for the first time become more valuable than its US counterpart Twitter.

Weibo’s market capitalisation reached US$11.3 billion, about US$200 million higher than Twitter’s US$11.1 billion, Bloomberg reported on Monday.


Twitter’s share price has tumbled after the company last week posted a disappointing earnings report for the fourth quarter.

Twitter’s monthly users only grew by 2 million to 319 million, and the San Francisco-based company still failed to draw more advertisers even as US President Donald Trump frequently uses the service to post controversial messages.

In contrast, Sina Weibo’s market capitalisation has been rising thanks to growing user numbers and the perceived growth potential of social media advertising market in China.

Sina Weibo has more than 340 million monthly users and its ability to monetising its user base has been constantly improving, according to Financial Times.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba owns a 31.5 percent stake in Sina Weibo.

Both Twitter and Facebook are blocked in the Chinese mainland.
 
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Now China's decision kicked them out (due to their failure to comply with the law of the land) makes more sense.

More money value generated and stayed at home.

Besides, Twitter's character limitation generates more hatred and less constructive argument. On Twitter, even rational people sound idiotic.

Take Trump for example.
 
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Now China's decision kicked them out (due to their failure to comply with the law of the land) makes more sense.

More money value generated and stayed at home.

Besides, Twitter's character limitation generates more hatred and less constructive argument. On Twitter, even rational people sound idiotic.

Take Trump for example.
That's because 140 Chinese characters could convey 10 times more than 140-letter English....:D
 
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That's because 140 Chinese characters could convey 10 times more than 140-letter English....:D

Indeed, true. Chinese is much more expressive, in that regard. 140 characters can convey a very sound argument. In fact, 140 character is more than enough for an abstract in an academic article.

Also, from January last year, Weibo lifted 140-character limitation to 2000 characters for the first post.

Reposts, however, are still limited to 140-characters.
 
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That's because 140 Chinese characters could convey 10 times more than 140-letter English....:D
Indeed, true. Chinese is much more expressive, in that regard. 140 characters can convey a very sound argument. In fact, 140 character is more than enough for an abstract in an academic article.

Also, from January last year, Weibo lifted 140-character limitation to 2000 characters for the first post.

Reposts, however, are still limited to 140-characters.
Has already lifted restrictions
已经没有140个字的限制了
 
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Has already lifted restrictions
已经没有140个字的限制了

Yes, the restriction lifted more than a year ago, as far as I know.

We do not want to generate people like Trump that debate with no logic because there's character limitation.
 
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Yes, the restriction lifted more than a year ago, as far as I know.

We do not want to generate people like Trump that debate with no logic because there's character limitation.
yes,Some of Mr Trump's remarks have undermined social stability, which is something that people do not want to see.
 
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