Ctrip is one of China’s successful travel companies, but for most startups, it is a tough market to crack, said William Bao Bean, managing director of the Shanghai-based China Accelerator, last week at a travel conference in Amsterdam, according to Phocuswire.com. Bean did identify some potential success stories, though.Read More →

Chinese surveillance technology, especially social credit systems and facial recognition, is seen by Western media as a final end to privacy. But Tencent watcher Matthew Brennan sees this innovation works differently on the ground, in China, he explains in Metro.Read More →

China might have most internet users of the world, but getting an email to them is often hard, as most communicate through domestic social networks like Tencent’s WeChat. Email, unlike WeChat, did not offer tools to make money, explains China veteran Kaiser Kuo as one of the reasons for thatRead More →

The official trade war between the US and China seems to be entering its end game. But that does not mean the hostilities will end. Making sense out of what the world’s first and second-largest economies will do will only be slightly easier. A few speakers at our office might be able to help you out.Read More →

China veteran Ashley Dudarenok notices an upswing in the mood about China’s economy, she tells in her daily vlog. Prospects for the trade agreement between China and the US look good. Financial reforms, including a reduction of the VAT is in the pipeline, and president Xi Jinping supports more than ever private companies. Read More →

A glut in big cities and some high-profile failures like Mark&Spencer have raised doubts on the growth possibilities in China for premium retail brands. But there is still room for growth, if you pick your locations right, says retail expert Ben Cavender to the China Daily.Read More →

Growing used to be easy for Tencent and other Chinese IT giants, as mobiles proliferated and consumers got used to the internet. But, as the limited growth by Tencent showed last week, the company has to diversify its key games asset into other industries and global expansion, says Tencent watcher Matthew Brennan to the South China Morning Post.Read More →