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

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

18 Jul 2026 - 4:30PM

Artificial intelligence

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

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 researchers tested the non-contact forensic technique on Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro. Photo: Shutterstock

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

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

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

Three quarters of Hong Kong consumers trust an influencer’s product recommendation even when they know it’s a paid partnership. Photo: VCG via Getty Images

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

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

Apps like WeChat have long been the main gateways to the internet for Chinese consumers. Photo: Shutterstock Images

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

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

Liu Runjie (centre in white) was among 20 young students from China and the US who took part in the two-week “A Shared Voyage: China-US Youth Friendship Program” in March and April. Photo: Handout

Artificial intelligence

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.

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

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

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

Diners tuck into “phad kaphrao” at Phed Mark, a Bangkok kitchen with a pop-up feel. Photo: Aidan Jones

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

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

Tencent’s WeChat, marketed as Weixin on the mainland, has warned against speculative and low-effort content. Photo: Shutterstock

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

Hong Kong transport

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.

3 Apr 2026 - 11:04AMvideocam

Artificial intelligence

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.

23 Mar 2026 - 10:30PM

Tencent is seeking to capitalise on the OpenClaw craze. Photo: Reuters

US-China relations

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.

22 Mar 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Photos of grieving families in Iran have attracted millions of views on Chinese social media. Photo: Reuters

Apple

Apple reduces App Store commissions in China, to applause from Tencent, NetEase

Move has ‘long-term constructive significance for the overall prosperity of China’s mobile app ecosystem’, gaming company NetEase says.

13 Mar 2026 - 3:02PM

Artificial intelligence

China fines firms for fake ChatGPT and DeepSeek services

The two cases are among five examples made public by SAMR as it steps up efforts to fight unfair competition in China’s AI industry.

6 Feb 2026 - 10:06PM

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WeChat

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

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

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.

Apple reduces App Store commissions in China, to applause from Tencent, NetEase

Move has ‘long-term constructive significance for the overall prosperity of China’s mobile app ecosystem’, gaming company NetEase says.

China fines firms for fake ChatGPT and DeepSeek services

The two cases are among five examples made public by SAMR as it steps up efforts to fight unfair competition in China’s AI industry.

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