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

The Cyberspace Administration of China says it has removed some 49,000 accounts during its latest enforcement drive. Photo: Reuters

Artificial intelligence

‘Slop’ purge: Chinese watchdog scrubs millions of harmful AI posts

Clampdown sweeps across 2,400 websites and apps as cyberspace watchdog escalates fight against generative tech abuse.

2 Sep 2026 - 5:49PMvideocam

Tencent

How Hy4 preview puts Tencent back in the top tier of open-source AI

2 Sep 2026 - 5:37PM

Artificial intelligence

24 hours with Tencent’s WeChat AI agent: successes and stumbles

16 Aug 2026 - 4:00PM

Artificial intelligence

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.

13 Aug 2026 - 4:40PMvideocam

Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek quietly released an updated version of its latest flagship model, DeepSeek-V4-Pro-0813, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Tencent

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

The firm’s second-quarter revenue surpassed market projections at US$30.4 billion, but the surge in AI spending led to a large negative free cash flow.

13 Aug 2026 - 4:38PM

Tencent

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

Screenshots of the executive’s eye-watering compensation went viral on social media, which Tencent said caused a ‘severe negative impact’.

24 Jul 2026 - 7:18PM

China travel

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.

18 Jul 2026 - 4:30PM

Artificial intelligence

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.

14 Jul 2026 - 3:15PM

Science

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.

7 Jul 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

The Future of Marketing in Asia

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.

25 Jun 2026 - 7:30AM

Hong Kong may have ceded the lead in marketing throughout Greater China to the mainland, but its role is evolving. Illustration: Valentina Vinci

The Future of Marketing in Asia

China’s digital platforms redefine global marketing strategies

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

25 Jun 2026 - 7:00AM

Social networking and e-commerce app RedNote is viewed by Chinese consumers as a search engine and trust-builder. Photo: AFP

The Future of Marketing in Asia

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.

25 Jun 2026 - 6:30AM

China travel

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.

22 Jun 2026 - 5:38PM

Artificial intelligence

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.

16 Jun 2026 - 6:05PMvideocam

Ant Group is undertaking the biggest overhaul of its Alipay app in two decades. Photo: Shutterstock

US-China relations

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.

5 Jun 2026 - 8:05PMvideocam

An American citizen is facing federal charges after being accused of working as an agent for the Chinese government. Photo: Shutterstock

Tencent

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.

4 Jun 2026 - 6:00PM

Artificial intelligence

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.

3 Jun 2026 - 8:00PM

Artificial intelligence

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.

2 Jun 2026 - 4:23PM

Tencent has repeatedly stressed its cautious approach to adding an agent to its super app. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong society

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.

31 May 2026 - 10:54PM

Artificial intelligence

Alibaba AI beats Google and OpenAI in global coding rankings

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27 May 2026 - 8:15PM

Artificial intelligence

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.

18 May 2026 - 12:00PM

A Taobao and Tmall display is seen at the Alibaba office in Beijing on April 1. Photo: AFP

US-China relations

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.

12 May 2026 - 8:52AMvideocam

Supporters of Lu Jianwang stand outside a federal courthouse before the opening of his trial in New York, on May 6. Photo: AP

Thailand

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.

7 May 2026 - 4:24PMvideocam

US-China relations

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.

7 May 2026 - 7:44AMvideocam

Financial crime

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.

17 Apr 2026 - 6:42PM

Chinese authorities have shut down around 10 social media accounts for illegally recommending individual stocks. Photo: Reuters

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

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

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

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WeChat

‘Slop’ purge: Chinese watchdog scrubs millions of harmful AI posts

Clampdown sweeps across 2,400 websites and apps as cyberspace watchdog escalates fight against generative tech abuse.

How Hy4 preview puts Tencent back in the top tier of open-source AI

24 hours with Tencent’s WeChat AI agent: successes and stumbles

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

The firm’s second-quarter revenue surpassed market projections at US$30.4 billion, but the surge in AI spending led to a large negative free cash flow.

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

Screenshots of the executive’s eye-watering compensation went viral on social media, which Tencent said caused a ‘severe negative impact’.

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.

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