China Digital Digest Weekly: Exploring the Chinese Digital Landscape
- ClickInsights
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
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. UK Sanctions Russian and Chinese Firms, Warns of Cyber Threats, Hybrid Warfare
Britain has announced sanctions against Russian and Chinese media and ideas outlets as the UKs top diplomat warned Western nations must raise their game to combat information warfare from “malign foreign states”.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK was imposing sanctions on the microblogging Telegram channel Rybar and its co-owner Mikhail Sergeevich Zvinchuk, as well as the Centre for Geopolitical Expertise and the Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad. Two China-based firms – i-Soon and the Integrity Technology Group – also were sanctioned “for their vast and indiscriminate cyber activities against the UK and its allies”, Cooper said.
2. JD.Com Takes Smart Toilets to Guizhou’s Highest Tourist Plateau
JD.com is extending its smart home vision to an unlikely yet essential setting: public toilets. The e-commerce major has rolled out the second phase of its Smart Toilet Programme in Asilixi, a high-altitude scenic destination in Bijie, Guizhou, where elevations climb to nearly 2,000 metres.
Surrounded by sweeping mountain ridges and open grasslands, the area is celebrated for its natural beauty rather than modern amenities. It’s this very gap between landscape and infrastructure that JD.com’s smart toilets aim to bridge.
3. Temu’s European Headquarters Raided Over Chinese Subsidy Concerns
Temu’s European headquarters in Dublin were raided by EU regulators on concerns about potential Chinese state subsidies granted to the online retailer, a subsidiary of China’s e-commerce giant PDD Holdings.
The raid comes amid increasing concern within the EU over cheap imports from China, as low-value e-commerce shipments have flooded into the bloc thanks to a customs waiver on parcels worth less than €150 (US$175), which European retailers say gives platforms like Temu and Shein an unfair advantage. The EU executive plans to scrap that duty exemption by the end of next year.
4. PDD Holdings Fires Government Relations Unit After Fight With Inspectors
PDD Holdings Inc. has terminated multiple employees from its government relations team after a physical confrontation involving company executives and Shanghai market regulators earlier this month, according to Caixin.
The incident took place on Dec. 3 at the Chinese e-commerce firm’s Shanghai headquarters, when local officials—acting on a referral from the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR)—arrived to conduct an investigation, sources familiar with the matter told Caixin. The situation reportedly escalated into a physical clash, leading regulators to call the police. Authorities later punished several PDD employees, including placing some under administrative detention, for obstructing official duties.
5. EU Targets Shein and Temu With New Fees on Low-Value Parcels
The European Union will start collecting a three-euro flat fee for each small parcel valued below €150 (US$176) sent directly from a non-EU country to customers in the bloc, following a decision adopted by the EU finance ministers meeting in Brussels.
The move, set to kick in next July, marks a milestone in Europe’s fight, led by France, against the influx of small parcels, mostly from Chinese platforms such as Temu and Shein, entering the union tax free. The fee will apply to all small parcels directly sent from non-EU countries to European customers, according to a statement from the European Commission. There is no mention of this fee applying to small parcels sent from non-EU countries to warehouses in the EU.
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.
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