Bottom line: Meitu's new disclosure of rapid growth in its internet services revenue looks encouraging, as it takes advantage of its early arrival status in a beauty products sector with big profit potential. 

Meitu makes over image with internet revenue growth

A month after its lackluster IPO, beauty app operator Meitu (HKEx: 1357) is trying to shore up its sagging stock by releasing some financial data that proves it's more than just a place for people to doll up selfi...

Bottom line: A meeting between Jack Ma and Donald Trump is a major coup for Alibaba and bodes well for its US relations, while a privatization plan for its partly owned Intime Retail reflects its spottier record for strategic investments.

Jack Ma scores Donald Trump meeting

E-commerce giant Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) is wasting no time making big headlines in the New Year, starting with a major coup that has seen founder Jack Ma become the first big Chinese business leader to ...

Bottom line: Alibaba's Taobao marketplace is likely to be included on the annual US "notorious markets" for piracy list for the next 1-2 years, after its return to the list this year.

Alibaba's Taobao gets coal for Christmas

Christmas may be just around the corner, but the folks at e-commerce giant Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) won't be feeling much holiday cheer this year. That's because Alibaba's hugely popular Taobao C2C marketplace has just been included on the latest edition...

Bottom line: Starbucks' selection of WeChat before Alipay for in-store electronic payments is a symbolic victory for the former, while Alipay's aggressive global expansion could eventually help it to overtake UnionPay outside China.

WeChat ties with Starbucks

China's two leading mobile payments services are both in the headlines, led by word of a major new tie-up between Tencent's (HKEx: 700) WeChat and coffee lifestyle titan Starbucks (NYSE: SBUX). I have to admit that ...

Bottom line: Unicom is likely to choose all 3 of the BAT companies as equity and strategic partners under Beijing's pilot program to invigorate big state-run companies, but none of the tie-ups will produce meaningful results.  

Unicom eyes BAT partnerships

China Unicom (HKEx: 762; NYSE: CHU), the perennial laggard among China's 3 major telcos, is reportedly looking for new life by tying up with the nation's big 3 Internet companies, Tencent (HKEx: 700), Alibaba (NYSE: BA...