TOPIC

/ company

WeChat

Released by Chinese web giant Tencent in 2011, WeChat is one of the largest messaging apps in the world, with more than 1 billion monthly active users, primarily in China. Originally confined to text messaging, WeChat has grown into an app platform, with gaming, payment, and social networking functions.

Chairman / President

Ma Huateng

CEO / Managing Director

Ma Huateng

CFO / Finance Director

John Lo

Industry

Social media

Website

wechat.com

Headquarters address

Tencent Binhai Towers, No. 33 Haitian Second Road,Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Stock Code

SEHK:2011

Year founded

2011

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WeChat

DeepSeek’s flagship AI model update underwhelms – except in cybersecurity

Chinese AI start-up’s model impresses in niche areas like cybersecurity but leaves some developers disappointed in its overall capabilities.

Tencent capex jumps 176% on AI push as revenue beats estimates

Tencent fires WeChat manager after 7-figure bonus leaks online, sparks uproar

The Haaland effect? Chinese tourists flock to Norway amid World Cup ad blitz

The hulking striker has become a huge star in China during the World Cup, helping his homeland attract a growing wave of tourists.

.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.

Chinese researchers find a peephole to any smartphone in its leaked radio signal

Authorities could be able to determine which apps are being used by analysing faint electromagnetic signals emitted as the device operates.

Basking in the shadows: marketing to and through Hong Kong

Experts at Hungry Digital, Jules & Co and Red Ant Asia discuss the city’s evolving role in marketing strategies.

China’s digital platforms redefine global marketing strategies

The mainland’s app ecosystem integrates content, discovery and transaction into a single and seamless experience.

The art of persuasion enters the AI era

Content creators have risen to eclipse traditional ad formats, but now, as AI takes centre stage, the battle for authenticity is on.

A phone away from home: China urged to provide rental handsets to aid tourists

A think tank says low-end handsets, rentable at border checkpoints and pre-installed with local apps, could narrow ‘digital divide’ for visitors.

China’s Alipay gets AI-agent overhaul to challenge rivals Tencent and ByteDance

Fintech giant is seen leveraging its billion-user base to launch a conversational interface that coordinates 10,000 services, with safeguards.

US citizen and journalist charged with acting as Chinese agent

According to court documents, Thomas Weir Pauken II worked at the ‘direction and control’ of Chinese officials for at least seven years.

WeChat to take commands from AI assistants in major shift for Tencent

Phone makers including Huawei, Honor, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo set to support feature that reverses past reluctance to open the super app.

Order coffee, book a flight, buy a burger: Alibaba broadens Qwen’s reach

As Tencent prepares a rival WeChat agent, Alibaba is moving quickly to turn Qwen from a chatbot into a digital concierge for everyday life.

Tencent shares jump 10% on expectations of AI agent within WeChat

An AI agent would leverage the app’s ecosystem of mini-programs, payments, content and commerce for 1.4 billion users.

Student recalls eye-opening trip with American peers that drew praise from Xi

CUHK undergraduate Liu Runjie describes how Chinese and US students reached common understanding during youth exchange trip.

Alibaba AI beats Google and OpenAI in global coding rankings

The Chinese tech giant is the only non-US firm to crack the top five in Code Arena’s latest leaderboard.

Chinese tech giants race to dominate AI-powered digital gateways

The integration of agentic AI with sites like Taobao and JD.com is reshaping shopping, but the bigger promise is an agent within WeChat.

US trial hears witness claims of harassment over Chinese ‘secret police station’

Witness testifies he was harassed after holding a protest against the establishment of alleged Fuzhou-controlled facility in New York.

How RedNote, WeChat are reviving Thailand’s Chinese tourism market

Thai businesses are asking online experts to help reel in young big spenders who prize authenticity over heavily advertised content.

US trial opens over alleged Chinese ‘secret police station’ in New York

Lawyers of Lu Jianwang, who has lived in the US for decades, said the alleged covert police station was just a community centre.

Hot tips, cold reality: China targets online stock scams luring novice investors

Crackdown targets social media accounts offering bogus stock tips, paid groups and AI-driven tools amid surge in retail scams.

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.

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.

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.

40,000 taxi drivers sign up for e-payment systems as new rules come into force

Widespread coverage is good news ahead of coming holiday for mainland visitors who have solely been using e-wallets for years.

Tencent adds ClawBot plug-in to WeChat amid OpenClaw boom and privacy warnings

With over 1 billion users, WeChat becomes Tencent’s biggest OpenClaw campaign, bringing into focus opportunity and regulatory caution.

Chinese social media is awash with criticisms of the US. Can it go too far?

Online responses range from sarcastic variants on Beijing’s official line to ‘armchair generals’ telling Tehran how best to fight America.

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