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Bottom line: JD.com's Thai joint venture looks like a smart move into Southeast Asia, though it shouldn't move too aggressively abroad and instead focus on becoming profitable.
- JD.com tests out Thailand
China's big Internet companies have a pretty varied record for expanding abroad. At one extreme there's Alibaba (NYSE: BABA), which is using its big cash pot to buy a wide range of assets concentrated mostly in East and South Asia. Tencent (HKEx: 700) is in the middle, m...
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Bottom line: Unicom's choice of 14 partners for a mixed-ownership reform plan involving its Shanghai-listed unit is far too many, and is ultimately likely to fail when those partners become frustrated and sell their shares.
- Unicom puts 14 new partners into its mix
What I feared might happen has come to pass in a mixed-ownership reform plan being crafted by China Unicom (HKEx: 762; NYSE: CHU), one of the nation's three telcos that is experimenting with selling some of its...
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Bottom line: Alibaba's move into unmanned coffee shops could stand a strong chance of success due to its relative simplicity, while WeChat's move into Hong Kong convenience stores should also be relatively well received.
- Alibaba samples coffee shops
Convenience stores are shaping up as the next battlefield in the wars for supremacy between Internet titans Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) and Tencent (HKEx: 700), at least based on the latest headlines. One of those has Alibaba prepar...
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Bottom line: Tencent could be forced to take more measures to control addictive play of its popular "Honour of Kings" game, which could take a short-term toll on its gaming business.
- Military critical of Tencent hit game
Internet juggernaut Tencent (HKEx: 700) has been in nonstop headlines lately for its smash hit game called "Honour of Kings", along with its stock price that keeps reaching new highs. The company must certainly be feeling a bit uneasy from all the public...
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Bottom line: Unicom's mixed-ownership reform plan could prove a dud if it chooses too many partners, which looks likely based on the latest reports.
- Unicom eyes too many cooks for pilot plan
I haven't written for a while about a highly anticipated plan to inject some new life into perennial laggard telco China Unicom (HKEx: 762; NYSE; CHU) through a Beijing-led pilot program, even as reports build that an announcement of the mixed-ownership plan are imminent. Those repor...
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Bottom line: Sohu's plan to list its Sogou search unit has a 50-50 chance of happening this year, while AirMedia's 2-year-old privatization plan is likely to close within that period.
- Sohu talks IPO for Sogou -- again
A couple of IPOs are in the headlines as we head into the new week, led by an often-discussed offering by perennial third-place search engine Sogou, which is co-owned by Internet titan Tencent (HKEx: 700) and second-rate portal Sohu (Nasdaq: SOHU). At the s...
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Bottom line: Tencent's roll-out of time playing limits for teenager gamers for a popular new title looks aimed at preventing a regulatory intervention, while its new TCL tie-up could presage a spin-off of its video business.
- Tencent limits teenage gamers
Internet titan Tencent (HKEx: 700) is in a couple of headlines as the US observes its Independence Day holiday, starting with word that it's limiting teenagers from playing too much of a very popular new title. The other...
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Bottom line: Alibaba's potential new partnership with China's rail operator could become a major new business opportunity, and could see the pair sign a strategic equity tie-up within the next year.
- Alibaba ties with railway operator
Up until now, I've written about China's mixed-ownership reform program mostly in the context of China Unicom (HKEx: 762; NYSE: CHU), the nation's second largest wireless carrier, which is in the final stages of drafting a plan to sell some ...
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Bottom line: A tussle that resulted in injuries to a Tencent worker by a Youku peer at an industry event reflects the big tensions that exist in China's online video sector due to years of stiff competition that shows no signs of easing.
- Wine glass incident reflects tensions in online video
Stiff competition in a wide range of online industries is pretty much par for the course in China, but a scuffle between employees of Tencent (HKEx: 700) and Youku at an industry even...
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Bottom line: Tencent's soaring market value reflects its leading position as a developer of social networking products, and its concurrent ability to monetize those products.
- Tencent opens A1 lab in Seattle
It seems that Internet titan Tencent (HKEx: 700) can do no wrong these days, at least based on a recent run-up in its share price. Just a couple of weeks after China's Internet wunderkind passed US banking giant Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) to become the world's 10th most ...
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Bottom line: NetEase's new global expansion could stand a good chance of success due to its strong record with self-developed titles, which could help it pass Baidu in market value over the next 1-2 years.
- NetEase holds developer forum in San Francisco
The company that made its name from a series of games based on the famous Chinese novel Journey to the West is trying to turn that story into reality, as NetEase (Nasdaq: NTES) eyes expansion outside its home market. The W...
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Bottom line: Weibo's rise from the ashes is likely to be followed by a decline similar to the one after its initial rise, as the current boom in live broadcasting wanes or that part of its business gets stolen by a better product from rival Tencent.
- Weibo links with People's Daily
A turbo-charged Weibo (Nasdaq: WB) is in a couple of headlines as the new week begins, led by a new partnership with Beijing's powerful central media that looks eerily similar to one from abou...
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