I read with amusement this morning a report stating that Baihe, one of China’s smaller social networking sites, is still letting people register under any name they choose, even though Beijing rolled out a controversial “real name registration” system months ago designed to curtail rumor mongering. The report, which looks credible, reflects the very real fact that such real name registration has been difficult if not impossible for not only Baihe but also much bigger names like Sina (Nasdaq: SINA) and Tencent (HKEx: 700) posing a very real risk for these Internet titans if and when Beijing decides to enforce the real name rule, or even worse, to punish companies that have failed to comply.
Tag Archives: Tencent
Mobile Internet Passes the Desktop 手机成中国网民最大上网终端
A government agency has just released data showing that mobile Internet users in China have passed traditional desktop users for the first time, posing an interesting challenge for all players that have typically designed their products for people who surf the web from fixed-line PCs at home and in Internet cafes. This move reminds me of a similar shift to mobile from desktop computing now taking place worldwide that is dealing a blow to former PC giants Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), which have long dominated the desktop computing arena but are having trouble in the mobile space.
Portals Shun Olympics, Baidu’s New JV 门户网站避开奥运，百度新设合资企业
Second-quarter earnings season and the London Olympics won’t begin until next week, but we’re already seeing signs that an ad slowdown is hitting profits at many Chinese Internet companies as they get set to report their latest results. Specifically, media are reporting China’s top 4 portals have decided to skip expensive rights for live coverage of Olympic events, and instead are opting to provide less pricey video-on-demand (VOD) rights that allow Internet users to watch recordings of their favorite sports after the events. (English article)
Tencent-Activision: Finally a Good Match 腾讯竞购动视暴雪
Just a week after leading Internet company Tencent (HKEx: 700) announced a strategic tie-up with top US game developer Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI), we’re hearing that this pairing could become a true marriage as Activision’s debt-heavy parent looks to sell the company. After several previous M&A attempts by Tencent that didn’t look too smart to me, I can honestly say that this latest pursuit would be one that I like, and I’ll explain my reasons in a moment.
News Digest: July 10, 2012 报摘： 2012年7月10日
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 10. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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◙ Hawker Beechcraft in Talks With Chinese Company for Sale (English article)
◙ Bankers Approach Tencent (HKEx: 700), Others on Activision (Nasdaq: ATVI) Sale (English article)
◙ Youku (NYSE: YOKU) Premium Enters into Licensing Agreement with NBCUniversal (PRNewswire)
◙ Denny’s (Nasdaq: DENN) Expanding Global Franchising Presence to China (Businesswire)
◙ Camelot Information (NYSE: CIS) In JV with Wuhan Iron and Steel Engineering Group (PRNewswire)
News Digest: July 7-9, 2012 报摘： 2012年7月7-9日
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 7-9. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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◙ Hebei Steel Gets Approval to Invest in Canadian Iron Ore Miner (English article)
◙ ICBC (HKEx: 1398) Completes Purchase of Stake in AXA-Minmetals Assurance (HKEx announcement)
◙ Sinopec (HKEx: 386) Extends Deadline for China Gas (HKEx: 384) Offer Until Aug 6 (HKEx announcement)
◙ Tencent (HKEx: 700 Tests Video, Voice Calling for Weixin (English article)
◙ Only 2 Chinese Companies List on NYSE In First Half of 2012 (Chinese article)
Tencent Ties Up With Activision 腾讯牵手动视暴雪
Leading Internet firm Tencent (HKEx: 700) is solidifying its place as China’s top online game company, following the announcement that it has entered into a long-term strategic alliance with US-based Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI), a leading global game developer. (company announcement) This new tie-up is interesting for a number of reasons, marking not only the latest in a recent string of strategic moves for Tencent but also for its implications for Activision’s hugely popular World of Warcraft game, which it currently licenses to rival online game operator NetEase (Nasdaq: NTES).
Dangdang Links With Tencent 当当网和腾讯联手
China’s overheated e-commerce wars are quickly becoming a game of musical chairs that has seen many top names form partnerships with other big players, including an interesting new tie-up between top-tier operator Dangdang (NYSE: DANG) and leading Internet company Tencent (HKEx: 700). This new tie-up looks quite interesting and significant, though I should also point out that it’s just the latest in a steady string of recent initiatives for Dangdang, which has also just announced the launch of a more dubious move targeting the wedding market.
News Digest: June 28, 2012 报摘： 2012年6月28日
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on June 28. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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◙ BYD (HKEx: 1211) Cuts Employee Salaries 14 Percent in Troubled Times (Chinese article)
◙ Regulator Encourages Private Investments in 8 Key Telecoms Areas (Chinese article)
◙ Sina (Nasdaq: SINA) to Close Luxury Goods Channel at End June After Less Than 1 Yr (Chinese article)
◙ FTuan Merges with Groupon (Nasdaq: GRPN), Tencent (HKEx: 700) JV Gaopeng (English article)
◙ China’s Bright Dairy Recalls Hundreds of Cartons of Tainted Milk (English article)
News Digest: June 26, 2012 报摘： 2012年6月26日
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on June 26. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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◙ Publicis (Paris: PUB) Hit by Stagnant China Ads as Europe Crisis Spreads (English article)
◙ Huawei to Spend $2 Bln on Global R&D Center in India (Chinese article)
◙ Suning.com (Shenzhen: 002024) to Expand Open Platform Beyond 3C (English article)
◙ China Has No Imminent Auto Stimulus Plan, Official Says (English article)
◙ Tencent (HKEx: 700) Non Executive Chairman Andries Roux Dies (Chinese article)
FTuan-Gaopeng Merger Looms, LaShou Next? F团与高朋网合并接近完成 拉手网或成下一个目标
A day after leading group buying site LaShou formally scrapped its New York IPO (previous post), there’s an interesting detailed report out about the ongoing merger between 2 group buying sites backed by Tencent (HKEx: 700), China top Internet company. But what’s more interesting to me than the actual report of this ongoing merger is the potential for the cash-rich Tencent itself to emerge as a key consolidator in the ongoing clean-up of the unruly group buying space, perhaps even making a play for LaShou itself as that company struggles for survival.
