China Digital Digest Weekly: Exploring the Chinese Digital Landscape

Hi folks, we are back with our weekly edition of China’s Digital Digest, wherein we bring you weekly updates on China’s digital space. The report takes a quick glance at China’s complex and rapidly evolving social media landscape by providing updates on the latest happenings across the social media industry. Here are the major highlights of the report.

1. Tiffany Names Zhang Ziyi Global House Ambassador

https://timessquare.com.hk/stories/fashion/tiffany-co-announces-zhang-ziyi-as-global-brand-ambassador/

Tiffany & Co. has officially named acclaimed Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi as its new global House ambassador, opening a new chapter of creativity and elegance.

A defining figure in Chinese and international cinema, Zhang is known for her remarkable talent and lifelong dedication to her craft. She has delivered unforgettable performances in films like Memoirs of a Geisha, where she played Chiyo Sakamoto, and Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as Yu Jiaolong—among many other celebrated works. Her strength, grace, and artistry reflect Tiffany’s brand values.

2. Tmall Pays Tribute to China-Thailand Friendship

https://daoinsights.com/news/tmall-pays-tribute-to-china-thailand-friendship/

Tmall recently retraced the journey of a Thai grandmother with Alzheimer’s, guided by the footsteps of elephants, to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Thailand.

Based on a true story, the short film The Elephant Traveler follows a moving journey filled with love, warmth, and connection across borders. The film also weaves in products like Thailand’s Mistine sunscreen and Chinese brand JOMOO smart bathware. These placements feel organic, blending naturally into the story without disrupting its emotional tone, adding brand value without feeling forced.

3. Alibaba Lands US$250 Million Convertible Bonds Deal, AI Pact With Selfie App Giant Meitu

https://in.benzinga.com/markets/asia/25/05/45620205/alibaba-meitu-take-250m-selfie

Chinese photo-editing app operator Meitu saw its shares in Hong Kong rise to a seven-year high on Wednesday, following the announcement of its strategic partnership with Alibaba Group Holding and the issuance of US$250 million in convertible bonds to a subsidiary of the e-commerce giant.

Meitu also committed to buy at least 560 million yuan (US$77.6 million) worth of cloud computing services from Alibaba over the next three years. Cloud computing enables enterprises to manage or distribute over the internet a range of software and other digital resources as an on-demand service, like electricity from a power grid.

4. Alibaba Entertainment Group Gets Whale of a Name Change With Orca Rebranding

https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2025/05/25/alibabas-entertainment-group-renamed-after-killer-whale-as-it-seeks-to-revive-growth

Alibaba Group Holding is renaming its digital entertainment division as part of a broader push to reinvigorate growth outside its core e-commerce and cloud businesses.

Alibaba Digital Media and Entertainment Group will be renamed Hujing Digital Media and Entertainment Group, using the Chinese name for the orca, or killer whale, Alibaba said in a statement on its official WeChat account. The rebranding adds to Alibaba’s “zoo”, as some refer to the technology conglomerate’s animal-themed businesses. It includes Tmall, represented by a black cat, and logistics unit Cainiao, which literally means “rookie bird”.

5. PDD Holdings Misses Quarterly Revenue Estimates

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/temu-owner-pdd-holdings-misses-quarterly-revenue-estimates-2025-05-27/

Chinese e-commerce company PDD Holdings missed Wall Street estimates for first-quarter revenue, as its domestic platform Pinduoduo suffered from weak consumer sentiment while its international business Temu was hit by uncertain global trade policies.

The US-listed shares of the company fell close to 7 percent in premarket trading.

Despite deep price cuts from retailers and Chinese government stimulus measures to boost spending, a prolonged property crisis in the world’s second-largest economy has cast a shadow over consumer spending, even on PDD’s Pinduoduo, which has outperformed peers with its low-price focus.

6. Shein Risks Fines Over Breaches Of EU Consumer Law

https://impactpolicies.org/news/478/eu-warns-shein-over-systemic-consumer-rights-violations-across-europe

Shein risks potential fines after the European Union warned the e-commerce platform on Monday over a series of practices that infringe the bloc’s consumer laws, from fake discount deals to misleading product information.

The Chinese-founded e-commerce platform has a month to reply and offer commitments on addressing the issues found during an investigation launched in February by the European Commission with consumer authorities in Belgium, France, Ireland and the Netherlands. Shein said it was working with the authorities to tackle the concerns.

7. Meituan Revenue Jumps 18% In First Quarter

https://www.thestandard.com.hk/wealth-and-investment/article/303297/Meituan-first-quarter-profit-up-87pc-to-over-10b-yuan

Chinese on-demand local services giant Meituan posted an 18.1 percent year-on-year surge in revenue for the first quarter, as it seeks to maintain its dominant position on the mainland in the food delivery market amid new competition.

Meituan’s revenue for the three months through March was 86.6 billion yuan (US$12 billion). Net profit reached 10.1 billion yuan, up 87.3 percent year on year. The Beijing-based firm said in a statement that its instant commerce business, Instashopping, “maintained a robust growth trajectory, winning increasing consumer recognition and showcasing the immense potential of on-demand retail”.

8. Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi Lead China’s Top-500 Ranking Of Consumer Brands, Report Finds

https://beijingtimes.com/business/2025/05/25/apple-huawei-xiaomi-lead-chinas-top-online-consumer-brands/

Apple, Huawei Technologies and Xiaomi lead mainland China’s top brands based on domestic consumers’ online purchase behaviour, according to the first such ranking carried out by Peking University in Beijing.

With the support of Taobao and Tmall Group (TTG), the domestic e-commerce unit of Alibaba Group Holding, the university released its findings on Wednesday in a report that featured “China’s Top 500 Online Consumer Brands List”. The rankings showed US tech giant Apple with a 100-point score, while Huawei and Xiaomi notched scores of 95.3 and 95.1, respectively.

9. China Looks to Rein in Ecommerce Platform Commissions, Support Small Businesses

https://www.pymnts.com/news/ecommerce/2025/china-calls-for-reasonable-merchant-fees-from-ecommerce-platforms/

To encourage healthy industry growth, Chinese authorities have released draft guidelines for public consultation aimed at curbing opaque pricing and unfair charges by e-commerce platforms.

Issued by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), the guidelines contain 28 provisions across five key areas including clarifying fees, easing merchants’ operational burdens, and enhancing supervision. They also identify eight unreasonable fee practices, such as duplicate charges and forced participation in paid promotions, addressing common issues faced by sellers.

Wrapping Up

The vast and diverse nature of the Chinese Social Media space makes it incredibly challenging to keep a tab on the rapid developments taking place. However, China’s Digital Digest brings you all the latest updates from there to keep you abreast of all the evolving trends.

To delve deeper into the findings of our latest report, click here.