Pandaily’s Digest #20221017
Global game engine giant Unity's affiliate in China added several new shareholders, including subsidiaries of ByteDance’s Douyin, game developer miHoYo, smartphone maker OPPO, and China Mobile.
Douyin, OPPO, miHoYo and Others Invest in Unity’s Affiliate in China
According to business information query platform Tianyancha, on October 11, Yousandi Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., the global game engine giant Unity’s affiliate in China and the exclusive distributor of Unity’s products and services in China, added several new shareholders, including subsidiaries of ByteDance’s Douyin, game developer miHoYo, smartphone maker OPPO, and multimedia service provider China Mobile.
Taobao to Launch Exclusive Customer Service for Elderly ahead of Double 11 Shopping Festival
Alibaba‘s e-commerce platform Taobao will update its version for elderly people ahead of Tmall Double 11, the annual Shopping Festival will kick off pre-sales at 8 p.m. on October 24.
ByteDance Shuts Down Social Product Feiliao’s Official Website
The official website of ByteDance-owned online social platform Feiliao (or Flipchat in English) has recently been shut down and download channels have been closed, although any official suspension announcement has yet to be made, Tech Planet reported on October 15.
Ant’s Alipay Opens Money Transfers to Users of Tencent’s WeChat
Chinese smartphone users have recently discovered a new function within Alipay, Alibaba’s payment platform, allowing them to transfer funds to contacts on Tencent‘s WeChat app. The topic appeared on a list of hot Weibo searches on October 16, but after experiencing it in person, many said that the function is not as simple as it sounds, and evaluation has been mixed.
Tesla, BYD, Other Automakers See Promise in India’s NEV Market
Earlier this month, Chinese automotive firm BYD announced that it would launch its first pure electric passenger car model, the ATTO 3, in India, adding another overseas market following recent releases in Europe and Southeast Asia. In addition, other car companies such as Germany’s Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, as well as Japan’s Suzuki, are increasingly eyeing India’s new energy vehicle market.
Short Video Giants Douyin and Kuaishou Compete for Social Metaverse
Following the launch of virtual avatar “Douyin Zaizai,” ByteDance’s Douyin platform recently unveiled a new virtual space called “Douyin Xiaowo.” Meanwhile, competing Chinese short video streaming platform Kuaishou is also developing a virtual avatar social networking layout. The moves indicate that competition for China’s social metaverse field has officially commenced, Tech Planet reported on October 17.
Chinese Auto Brands Are Surpassing Global Firms Like BMW, Mercedes and Audi
According to data released on October 11 by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), the cumulative retail share of Chinese car brands in the first three quarters of this year was 47.0%, up 7.5% year-on-year. They have also achieved significant growth within China’s new energy vehicle market. From January to September, the retail sales volume of new energy passenger cars was 3.877 million units, up 113.2% year-on-year. Chinese brands accounted for 83.2% of the total, exhibiting positive development trends. Meanwhile, according to Jiemian News, international luxury brands and joint ventures are now showing downward trends in China.
Thailand Serves as First Stop for Chinese Car Firms in Southeast Asia
According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, in January through August of this year, China exported 1.817 million cars, up 53% year-on-year. Among them, the export volume of new energy vehicles (NEVs) reached 593,000, exceeding the amount delivered in the entire year of 2021 and accounting for 31% overall. The international competitiveness of Chinese NEV enterprises has been continuously strengthened. Moreover, with the increasingly clear momentum of industrial chain transfers to Southeast Asia, Chinese firms are also aiming at this emerging regional market that is home to nearly 700 million people, with Thailand as the first stop.
BMW Comments on Shift of Production to China From UK
According to a report by The Times on October 14, German auto company BMW Group will stop producing its MINI electric vehicles in Oxford, England, and will instead transfer its production line to China before the end of next year.
Mathematician Yitang Zhang Claims to Have Proven Riemann Hypothesis Problem
Yitang Zhang, a Chinese-American mathematician, reportedly disclosed in an online salon organized by the Peking University Alumni Association on October 15 that he has proven the longstanding Landau-Siegel zeros theory. This finding is related to the Riemann hypothesis, a formula for the distribution of prime numbers that has remained unsolved for more than a century. However, the claim has not yet been fully verified, and it is reported that a relevant article of more than 100 pages will be sent to a preprint website in early November.
