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. Doubao App Lands on Huawei HarmonyOS PCs With Doubao-Seed-2.1 Pro and Turbo
ByteDance's AI assistant Doubao is now available as a native app on Huawei's HarmonyOS PCs. Chinese tech outlets first reported the desktop client's arrival on October 1, and IT Home confirmed on October 7 that users can download it directly by searching for Doubao in the HarmonyOS app store.
Huawei said Doubao ranked first on the HarmonyOS PC user wishlist, the list of apps owners of its HarmonyOS computers most want to see on the platform. The first version ships with two models, Doubao-Seed-2.1 Pro and Doubao-Seed-2.1 Turbo. ByteDance released the Seed 2.1 series on Volcengine in June, positioning Pro for exploring highly complex tasks and Turbo for large-scale production use.
2. WorkBuddy Adds a Path From a Prompt to a WeChat Mini-Program Preview
Tencent’s WorkBuddy has added a feature allowing users to create WeChat mini-programs using natural-language prompts, streamlining development, previewing and publishing. The AI agent can connect cloud services, including databases, user authentication and file storage, reducing the need for manual configuration.
Users can generate trial versions or link existing mini-program accounts to prepare releases. However, WeChat’s review and filing requirements remain in place, meaning WorkBuddy cannot independently guarantee publication approval. The update aims to make mini-program development more accessible to non-technical users.
3. Victoria’s Secret Returns to Huaihai Road with a Rethink of Its China Stores
Victoria’s Secret has returned to Shanghai’s Huaihai Road with a new flagship store at Longfeng PRSCO, six months after its previous location at Lippo Plaza closed following the expiration of its lease.
The new store brings together lingerie, loungewear, sportswear, fragrances and body care, alongside dedicated beauty areas and professional sizing services. Its design retains the brand’s signature colours while incorporating elements inspired by Shanghai’s architecture. The reopening also reflects a shift in Victoria’s Secret’s China retail strategy, which balances expansion into more cities with a stronger focus on individual store performance.
4. China’s Zhejiang Province Calls to Curb Tech Giants’ Online ‘Traffic Power’
Communist Party officials in eastern China’s Zhejiang province have called for greater oversight of major internet platforms and their “traffic power”, warning that online traffic and algorithms had evolved into a force capable of shaping public discussion and sentiment.
The publicity department of the Zhejiang provincial party committee published the commentary on social media, saying traffic could no longer be viewed simply as a data resource. The department argued that public feed traffic should be treated as a semi-public utility rather than “a private asset owned by tech platforms”. It accused platforms of prioritising clicks and commercial interests over the public interest.
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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