TOPIC

/ company

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

Three Kingdoms Tactics, a war-based strategy game, is Lingxi’s most popular title. Photo: Lingxi Games

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ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming ranks as China’s richest person this year, with a fortune estimated at US$81 billion. Photo: Weibo

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ByteDance

(字节跳动)

Alibaba sheds gaming business Lingxi to double down on AI and e-commerce

The landmark deal sees Citic Capital’s private equity arm acquiring the unit famous for strategy game Three Kingdoms Tactics.

How AI is helping to open a new chapter for ancient Chinese literature

US lifts TikTok ban on government devices after ByteDance restructuring

US court rules tech firms must face lawsuits over social media addiction

The lawsuits allege that companies including TikTok and Meta intentionally addicted young users, contributing to a ⁠mental health crisis.

How China’s brands are thriving in the US despite rising geopolitical tensions

Chinese brands like Pop Mart are winning over American consumers by projecting a global image and targeting niche markets.

What triggered Goldman Sachs to lift its China AI revenue forecast by 30%

Bank forecasts a sharp revenue surge after Chinese AI models slash costs, boost capabilities and capture global token share.

Tencent ramps up overseas AI push with wider roll-out of flagship Hy3 model

Hy3’s release is the first major update in Tencent’s AI strategy since former OpenAI researcher Yao Shunyu joined the Chinese tech giant.

China’s MiniMax curbs overseas use of new AI video model amid copyright disputes

H3 model enters the generative video battleground, but licensing carve-outs restrict use in US, EU, UK and South Korea.

Why tech firms are locking down tomorrow’s AI researchers today

China’s tech giants are luring fresh AI graduates by offering salaries that are 16 times the national average.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Why global AI exuberance is about to hit ‘nasty’ reality

The era of unprecedented expansion is giving way to a volatile period where tech firms’ soaring ambitions feel the squeeze.

Why 17 people have held title of China’s richest person in past 27 years

ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming tops rankings this year, but vibrant market makes them much more fluid than in US, Hurun says.

Video AI: MiniMax challenges ByteDance with low price, open weights

Firm aims to ‘support open-source community’ and a ‘broad range of hardware’, as H3 model bests Seedance 2.0 in some tasks.

ByteDance sharpens AI focus as annualised revenue reaches US$4b

Company’s projected annual AI revenue is the largest known to the public among Chinese rivals, but still far behind US AI firms.

How ByteDance’s Seedance model empowers China’s nascent AI drama industry

China’s studios are using ByteDance’s model to cut production times from months to weeks and drive down video creation costs.

‘Keep your top talent’: Chinese firms set to boost pay in 2027 amid AI boom

The modest rise still lags regional averages and comes as firms try to retain staff amid aggressive recruitment, according to a new report.

From CXMT to Zhipu AI, Alibaba’s strategic investments are paying off

The company’s strategic shift to AI and chip investments is not only yielding significant returns, but also boosting its tech portfolio.

How Beijing became China’s biggest tech venture capitalist, from AI to chips

China’s tech sector thrives on state-backed investment, reshaping funding dynamics and sparking a debate about balancing risk and innovation.

Opinion | China’s AI vision gives the Global South a seat at the table

A new global AI body gives Beijing the platform to push for affordable access and technological autonomy, framing AI as a public good.

Opinion | China must address social needs that drive people to AI partners

Instead of just addressing AI misuse on a surface level, policymakers should explore how to support those seeking social comfort.

China’s tycoons rein in charitable donations, switch focus to science, education

One major driver of overall decline in corporate donations has been the prolonged slump in country’s real estate sector.

Indonesia’s AI ambitions test US-China balancing act

Analysts warn joining the new body could limit Indonesia’s access to US-made AI models and proprietary technology.

Insert token: how China’s surging AI use is turning compute into currency

As the cost of running AI models continues to drop, the token economy is reshaping ecosystems far beyond corporate cubicles.

Europe’s carmakers plan a comeback – powered by EU policies and Chinese tech

New regulations will help EU produce electric vehicles at a price point to match China, but European job losses would be among trade-offs.

Sam Altman signals OpenAI price war as rivalry with Anthropic, China heats up

American AI pioneer eyes 75 per cent fee cut for flagship software to counter market gains by Claude and low-cost alternatives from Chinese providers.

US says Nvidia’s H200 exports to China remain ‘trivial’ despite approvals

US commerce official Jeffrey Kessler says only a ‘very small quantity’ of AI chips have reached mainland China and Hong Kong so far.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}AI | Chinese AI giants, start-ups ready for the agentic web era

With artificially intelligent agents set to become our interface with the digital world, Chinese tech platforms are embedding them and launching AI-native products.

Will a new focus help Chinese AI labs challenge Thinking Machines Lab?

AI labs Yoolee and InfiX.ai say they aim to rival US start-up with industry-specific AI solutions, reduced costs and enhanced privacy.

Lindsey Graham’s death removes one of Washington’s most influential China hawks

Graham’s sister will fill his Senate seat, but his role as one of Trump’s closest foreign policy advisers may prove harder to replace.

Opinion | Why global AI exuberance is about to hit ‘nasty’ reality

AI | Chinese AI giants, start-ups ready for the agentic web era