TOPIC

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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

DeepSeek’s release of V4 has been followed by a wave of adoption among domestic semiconductor manufacturers and AI chipmakers. Photo: AFP

Semiconductors

China’s chipmakers rush to embrace DeepSeek’s V4. Which names stand out?

A growing list of Chinese firms – from Huawei to Cambricon – moves fast to integrate DeepSeek’s latest AI model across diverse architectures.

6 May 2026 - 8:30PM

Artificial intelligence

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Robotics

Hype or real: China’s robot boom faces reality check as commercialisation lags

5 May 2026 - 11:00AMvideocam

Robotics

China’s robots step into real-world roles, from cleaning to directing traffic

Robots appear in settings from dirty kitchens to dangerous steel mills as country pushes development of embodied AI.

5 May 2026 - 8:40AMvideocam

An X Square Robot that is capable of picking up rubbish in Beijing on April 21. Photo: AP Photo

Artificial intelligence

ByteDance’s drug unit presents AI-designed therapies at global conferences

Chinese tech giant fields teams in Boston, Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona as its unit unveils frameworks and therapies powered by AI.

2 May 2026 - 3:00PM

China technology

‘It’s hard to compete’: how China is using AI to churn out 500 dramas per day

In China, micro drama companies are harnessing AI to create shows at jaw-dropping speed and cost – often with the help of lavish subsidies.

1 May 2026 - 2:00PMvideocam

Artificial intelligence

Chinese firms face pressure on AI investments as US peers’ spending soars

Largest US companies on track for US$700 billion in AI capital expenditures this year, versus about US$105 billion in China.

30 Apr 2026 - 10:30PM

Google and Microsoft both expect 2026 capex to reach about US$190 billion. Photo: AP Photo

DeepSeek

‘The whale can now see’: DeepSeek adds AI vision in major move

On DeepSeek’s chat interface, a new ‘image recognition mode’ has been added alongside the ‘expert’ and ‘flash’ chat modes.

29 Apr 2026 - 10:23PMvideocam

Semiconductors

Hit from memory costs spreads from smartphones to BYD EVs in China

Carmaker explicitly cites sky-high memory costs as it raises the price of a high-end driver-assistance system by 21 per cent.

30 Apr 2026 - 3:11PM

Artificial intelligence

China’s Alibaba, ByteDance and Zhipu AI make the cut on Time’s first AI A-list

China’s leading AI firms earn global recognition as Time debuts a dedicated industry list dominated by US tech giants.

29 Apr 2026 - 3:44PM

Time said Alibaba had emerged as a major global force in AI through its open-source push. Photo: Reuters

My Take

My Take | Why TikTok is being deliberately ruined by its new American owners

The popular social media platform, once owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, has been turned into an AI-enabled exploitation and censorship machine.

26 Apr 2026 - 9:38PM

Printed TikTok logos are seen in this illustration taken February 15, 2022. Photo: Reuters

China economy

Opinion | Why Beijing is going all in on tokens – and what it really wants

Export of tokens not only embeds China’s energy advantage into global AI systems, it pulls the value chain deeper into the country’s interior.

25 Apr 2026 - 10:23AMvideocam

Artificial intelligence

Beijing sounds alarm over urgent need to clean up online ads

Market watchdog flags AI abuse and traffic-driven tactics as it launches first campaign to overhaul online advertising.

23 Apr 2026 - 9:03PM

Artificial intelligence

DeepSeek isn’t short of cash: so why has it decided to raise funds anyway?

DeepSeek is raising a small funding round not for cash, but to set a valuation benchmark and retain talent as rivals ramp up poaching.

22 Apr 2026 - 7:00PM

DeepSeek CEO Liang Wenfeng is pursuing ambitions in artificial general intelligence – AI capable of matching human performance across a wide range of tasks. Photo: Shutterstock

E-commerce

Hidden office, fractured bone: violent clashes in China’s food safety crackdown

Details of secrecy, obstruction and violence emerge from a probe into 67,000 ‘ghost’ bakeries across China’s biggest e-commerce platforms.

21 Apr 2026 - 8:00PM

Regulators have imposed the heaviest fine of 1.51 billion yuan on PDD and suspended it from adding new bakery merchants for nine months. Photo: Reuters

Artificial intelligence

Open or closed? Moonshot AI keeps its code out in the open

Open-source push continues with Kimi K2.6, but pressure to monetise is nudging some Chinese AI firms behind closed doors.

21 Apr 2026 - 8:06PM

TikTok

ByteDance profit plunges on AI push as TikTok Shop fuels overseas surge: reports

‘All-in’ AI drive cuts profits by 70 per cent, while booming TikTok Shop sales help overseas markets outpace China, reports say.

20 Apr 2026 - 7:00PM

Artificial intelligence

Chinese software firms defy ‘SaaSpocalypse’ with strategic AI partnerships

Legacy Chinese SaaS firms are integrating AI into their offerings and seeing ‘significant robust growth’ as a result, Liu said.

19 Apr 2026 - 9:00AM

An AI display is seen at the Zhongguancun Exhibition Centre in Beijing, March 25, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

Artificial intelligence

ByteDance, Tencent step up AI talent battle amid reports of DeepSeek loss

High-profile departures, disputed compensation claims and start-up spin-outs underscore escalating competition for AI engineers.

18 Apr 2026 - 9:00AM

US-China trade war

‘Buy what they can, steal what they can’t’: US lawmakers slam China’s AI tactics

US lawmakers, experts accused Beijing of buying ‘what they can’ and stealing ‘what they cannot’ from America to advance their AI technology.

17 Apr 2026 - 7:20AMvideocam

TikTok

From ‘probing minds’ to verified account: how Musk’s stance on TikTok shifted

The billionaire’s surprising return to TikTok reveals his evolving tech diplomacy, with his account quickly gaining 120,000 followers.

15 Apr 2026 - 9:00PM

Elon Musk’s journey with TikTok has been anything but straightforward. Photo: Reuters

China-Africa relations

War of words: China and the US battle it out for African hearts and minds

Rivalry between two global superpowers spills into the media as East meets West head-on in a clash of narratives to win over the continent.

12 Apr 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

The battle is on to win over Africa with China and the US wielding their influence through their nation’s media with each superpower pushing narratives designed to denigrate each other. Photo: AFP

Artificial intelligence

Tencent moves to rein in AI content flood on WeChat with stricter rules

Updated guidelines target mass-produced and AI-rewritten posts, reflecting growing concern over the spread of low-effort content.

10 Apr 2026 - 9:31PM

Artificial intelligence

Alibaba takes on Seedance as AI rivalry offers glimpse into race for top talent

HappyHorse’s debut on the global stage has put the spotlight on its creator, Zhang Di, who has been away from Alibaba for five years.

10 Apr 2026 - 8:30PM

TikTok

ByteDance valuation exceeds US$600 billion after proposed equity sale: sources

The seller originally had the valuation at US$550 billion, but raised the amount after multiple parties expressed interest, one source said.

8 Apr 2026 - 1:40PM

Artificial intelligence

Who is Xu Rui, the ex-ByteDance executive tapped by Meta to lead AI hardware?

The veteran Chinese executive will lead a team that develops AI devices at the Facebook parent’s superintelligence unit.

5 Apr 2026 - 4:52PM

Xu Rui, a graduate of Harbin Institute of Technology and Seoul National University, has had a storied career, including stints at several Chinese tech giants. Photo: Handout

Artificial intelligence

Tencent expands OpenClaw suite with enterprise tool amid China’s ‘lobster’ craze

ClawPro tool promises quick AI agent deployment, giving enterprises control over models, tokens and security.

3 Apr 2026 - 8:00PM

Artificial intelligence

China moves to cut AI computing costs for SMEs as cloud prices surge

Policy push comes as surging token consumption strains supply and pushes up cloud computing costs.

3 Apr 2026 - 6:00PM

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ByteDance

(字节跳动)

China’s chipmakers rush to embrace DeepSeek’s V4. Which names stand out?

A growing list of Chinese firms – from Huawei to Cambricon – moves fast to integrate DeepSeek’s latest AI model across diverse architectures.

Supersized and scaling: China pushes 10,000-card computing clusters in AI race

Hype or real: China’s robot boom faces reality check as commercialisation lags

China’s robots step into real-world roles, from cleaning to directing traffic

Robots appear in settings from dirty kitchens to dangerous steel mills as country pushes development of embodied AI.

ByteDance’s drug unit presents AI-designed therapies at global conferences

Chinese tech giant fields teams in Boston, Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona as its unit unveils frameworks and therapies powered by AI.

‘It’s hard to compete’: how China is using AI to churn out 500 dramas per day

In China, micro drama companies are harnessing AI to create shows at jaw-dropping speed and cost – often with the help of lavish subsidies.

Chinese firms face pressure on AI investments as US peers’ spending soars

Largest US companies on track for US$700 billion in AI capital expenditures this year, versus about US$105 billion in China.

‘The whale can now see’: DeepSeek adds AI vision in major move

On DeepSeek’s chat interface, a new ‘image recognition mode’ has been added alongside the ‘expert’ and ‘flash’ chat modes.

Hit from memory costs spreads from smartphones to BYD EVs in China

Carmaker explicitly cites sky-high memory costs as it raises the price of a high-end driver-assistance system by 21 per cent.

China’s Alibaba, ByteDance and Zhipu AI make the cut on Time’s first AI A-list

China’s leading AI firms earn global recognition as Time debuts a dedicated industry list dominated by US tech giants.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}My Take | Why TikTok is being deliberately ruined by its new American owners

The popular social media platform, once owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, has been turned into an AI-enabled exploitation and censorship machine.

Opinion | Why Beijing is going all in on tokens – and what it really wants

Export of tokens not only embeds China’s energy advantage into global AI systems, it pulls the value chain deeper into the country’s interior.

Beijing sounds alarm over urgent need to clean up online ads

Market watchdog flags AI abuse and traffic-driven tactics as it launches first campaign to overhaul online advertising.

DeepSeek isn’t short of cash: so why has it decided to raise funds anyway?

DeepSeek is raising a small funding round not for cash, but to set a valuation benchmark and retain talent as rivals ramp up poaching.

Hidden office, fractured bone: violent clashes in China’s food safety crackdown

Details of secrecy, obstruction and violence emerge from a probe into 67,000 ‘ghost’ bakeries across China’s biggest e-commerce platforms.

Open or closed? Moonshot AI keeps its code out in the open

Open-source push continues with Kimi K2.6, but pressure to monetise is nudging some Chinese AI firms behind closed doors.

ByteDance profit plunges on AI push as TikTok Shop fuels overseas surge: reports

‘All-in’ AI drive cuts profits by 70 per cent, while booming TikTok Shop sales help overseas markets outpace China, reports say.

Chinese software firms defy ‘SaaSpocalypse’ with strategic AI partnerships

Legacy Chinese SaaS firms are integrating AI into their offerings and seeing ‘significant robust growth’ as a result, Liu said.

ByteDance, Tencent step up AI talent battle amid reports of DeepSeek loss

High-profile departures, disputed compensation claims and start-up spin-outs underscore escalating competition for AI engineers.

‘Buy what they can, steal what they can’t’: US lawmakers slam China’s AI tactics

US lawmakers, experts accused Beijing of buying ‘what they can’ and stealing ‘what they cannot’ from America to advance their AI technology.

From ‘probing minds’ to verified account: how Musk’s stance on TikTok shifted

The billionaire’s surprising return to TikTok reveals his evolving tech diplomacy, with his account quickly gaining 120,000 followers.

War of words: China and the US battle it out for African hearts and minds

Rivalry between two global superpowers spills into the media as East meets West head-on in a clash of narratives to win over the continent.

Tencent moves to rein in AI content flood on WeChat with stricter rules

Updated guidelines target mass-produced and AI-rewritten posts, reflecting growing concern over the spread of low-effort content.

Alibaba takes on Seedance as AI rivalry offers glimpse into race for top talent

HappyHorse’s debut on the global stage has put the spotlight on its creator, Zhang Di, who has been away from Alibaba for five years.

ByteDance valuation exceeds US$600 billion after proposed equity sale: sources

The seller originally had the valuation at US$550 billion, but raised the amount after multiple parties expressed interest, one source said.

Who is Xu Rui, the ex-ByteDance executive tapped by Meta to lead AI hardware?

The veteran Chinese executive will lead a team that develops AI devices at the Facebook parent’s superintelligence unit.

Tencent expands OpenClaw suite with enterprise tool amid China’s ‘lobster’ craze

ClawPro tool promises quick AI agent deployment, giving enterprises control over models, tokens and security.

China moves to cut AI computing costs for SMEs as cloud prices surge

Policy push comes as surging token consumption strains supply and pushes up cloud computing costs.

My Take | Why TikTok is being deliberately ruined by its new American owners