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ByteDance

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ByteDance

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ByteDance is best known as the owner of the global short-video and shopping platform TikTok. It also operates the similar Douyin app in China. Both apps have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, especially among younger people. ByteDance has been the focus of strained relations between China and the West, with policymakers in the US, Canada and Europe expressing concern that TikTok's Chinese ownership puts sensitive user data within reach of the Chinese government.

Chairman / President

Rubo Liang

CEO / Managing Director

Zhang Yiming

CFO / Finance Director

Julie Gao

Industry

IT / Tech / Telecoms

Website

bytedance.com

Headquarters address

Haidian, Beijing, China

Year founded

2012

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ByteDance operates Douyin, China’s most popular video-sharing platform. Photo: Shutterstock

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Ro Khanna has been named as the senior Democrat on the bipartisan House Select Committee focused on competition with China. Photo: TNS

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The DeepSeek paper triggered interest and debate among developers despite its dense technical details. Photo: Reuters

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For industry watchers, DeepSeek’s papers often provide an important early signal of the engineering choices that will shape the start-up’s next major model release. Photo: Getty

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ByteDance plans to spend about 100 billion yuan on AI chips from Nvidia in 2026 if the US company is allowed to sell its H200 graphic processing units in China, sources say. Photo: Handout

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The European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Reuters

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ByteDance will license its AI recommendation technology to a newly created US TikTok entity. Photo: Reuters

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ByteDance’s top-ranked Doubao AI app. Photo: Shutterstock

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InnoStar headquarters in Shanghai. Photo: InnoStar

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People hold signs in support of TikTok outside the US Capitol Building on March 13, 2024, in Washington. Photo: Getty Images/TNS

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ByteDance

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Australian social media ban: Meta shuts 550,000 children’s accounts

Australia’s ban on social media usage for under 16s, a world’s first, came into effect on December 10.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Being Chinese | Where do lonely hearts in China go now? Late-night live streams

China semiconductor expert suggests vigilance in buying Nvidia’s H200 AI chips

ByteDance boosts Shenzhen presence with ‘second headquarters’ for Douyin unit

The Chinese short video giant’s new base in Nanshan district was announced by the city’s publicity department on Tuesday.

China’s DeepSeek adds advanced ‘thinking’ feature amid buzz over next model

Hangzhou-based AI start-up installs ‘interleaved thinking’ as monthly users surge 90 per cent to nearly 131.5 million.

It’s HAL out there: Tencent AI chatbot tells user to ‘get lost’ in rare outburst

In a moment echoing the classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey, Tencent’s Yuanbao chatbot has been accused of losing its temper with a user.

California progressive to lead Democrats on influential House China panel

Ro Khanna to replace Illinois Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is making a Senate run, on the House Select Committee monitoring China.

DeepSeek pitches new route to scale AI, but researchers call for more testing

DeepSeek’s proposed ‘mHC’ design could change how AI models are trained, but experts caution it still needs to prove itself at scale.

China takes confident strides to develop more AI innovation in 2026

‘China’s tech innovation is poised for policy-driven growth in 2026, with AI placed at the centre of the country’s economic agenda,’ NYU’s Winston Ma says.

DeepSeek proposes fundamental AI shift with ‘mHC’ architecture to upgrade ResNet

The paper comes at a time when most AI start-ups have been focusing on turning AI capabilities in LLMs into agents and other products.

DeepSeek opens 2026 with paper signalling race to train bigger models for less

DeepSeek has published a technical paper co-authored by founder Liang Wenfeng proposing a rethink of its core deep learning architecture.

Nvidia asks chipmaker TSMC to ramp up H200 production amid China demand: sources

Chinese tech companies place orders for more than 2 million H200 chips for 2026, according to sources.

China’s DRAM giant CXMT plans US$4.2 billion IPO on Shanghai’s Star Market

Listing aims to fund wafer expansion and DRAM upgrades as Beijing drives tech self-reliance.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Exclusive | ByteDance to pour US$14 billion into Nvidia chips in 2026 as AI demand surges

Chinese unicorn’s computing needs have climbed across its portfolio of popular apps, cloud unit Volcano Engine and large language models.

Poland urges Brussels probe TikTok over AI-generated ‘EU exit’ content

TikTok removes content as Warsaw suspects Russia is behind synthetic videos calling for Poland’s exit from the EU.

China’s tech giants offer lavish year-end bonuses amid AI talent war

ByteDance is expanding its bonus pool by 35 per cent from a year earlier, as well as increasing the budget for pay rises by 150 per cent.

ByteDance’s Volcano Engine lands exclusive AI cloud slot at Spring Festival Gala

The Spring Festival Gala’s sponsorship race is intensifying, as tech groups and consumer electronics brands chase exposure and reach.

China’s stance on TikTok deal seen as acceptance, not approval: analysts

In 2020, a similar arrangement between ByteDance, Oracle and Walmart fell apart after China revised its export control list.

Tech giants go prime time in the fight for China’s biggest audience

ByteDance, Tencent and Alibaba are in talks over Spring Festival Gala sponsorship packages, as AI rivalry becomes a fight for ad real estate.

Explainer | Trump vs EU: the European laws curbing big tech and irking US

The US is challenging EU digital regulations, accusing them of censorship and targeting American tech firms.

ByteDance, other major Chinese tech firms lead local consumer AI market: report

ByteDance-owned Doubao remains the country’s top consumer AI app, as DeepSeek’s namesake chatbot takes the No 2 spot.

Jack Ma-backed YF Capital takes stake in Shanghai memory chipmaker InnoStar

A YF Capital affiliate has taken a 2.1 per cent stake in InnoStar Semiconductor, making it the chipmaker’s 14th largest shareholder.

Alibaba’s DingTalk rolls out Agent OS as it bets bigger on AI agents

DingTalk is moving beyond software into a fuller-stack AI agent play, launching a dedicated operating system and physical terminals.

Nvidia aims to start H200 AI chip shipments to China by mid-February: sources

The US chip designer plans to fulfil initial orders from existing stock, with shipments expected to total 40,000 to 80,000 H200 chips.

Exclusive | TikTok owner ByteDance’s valuation hits US$500 billion as US plan advances

Figure marks a record for China’s tech giant, which will divest its US entity into a joint venture that includes Oracle and Silver Lake.

Editorial | TikTok deal could show way forward for US-China engagement

The agreement, under which the platform will become a joint venture controlled by a consortium of investors, highlights the importance of negotiation and mutual respect.

ByteDance raises pay, boosts bonuses to retain staff amid AI talent war

The TikTok owner has announced higher bonuses, wider pay bands and faster equity payouts as it seeks to stay competitive in the global talent race.

TikTok seals US deal but core algorithm could still rattle ties with China

Compliance questions remain and Beijing’s approval for the spin-off is not guaranteed, observers say.

Being Chinese | Where do lonely hearts in China go now? Late-night live streams

Exclusive | ByteDance to pour US$14 billion into Nvidia chips in 2026 as AI demand surges