The Latest from Rita Liao
Neither Microsoft nor Oracle gets to buy TikTok US: Chinese state media
What a whirlwind of a Monday morning. Shortly after news broke that Microsoft is out of the picture in bidding for TikTok’s U.S. operations, and rumors began circulating that Oracle is the winne
Oracle boots out Microsoft and wins bid for TikTok, reports say
Update: The Oracle -TikTok tie-up is confirmed as a concept. Oracle put out a release earlier today saying that is party to an agreement in which it would partner with TikTok, and that the proposal ha
Huawei phones will start running on HarmonyOS in 2021
Huawei is planning to launch its proprietary Harmony operating system on smartphones in 2021, the firm announced at its annual developer conference in Dongguan on Thursday. The readiness of HarmonyOS
Viral article puts the brakes on China’s food delivery frenzy
For China’s food delivery workers, life can feel like a constant battle with algorithms, traffic police and disgruntled customers. An essay detailing the hazardous work conditions of China’
China presents ‘global standard for data security’
As tensions between the U.S. and China heighten over data security issues, Beijing took a proactive step to unveil a “data security initiative” that it believes can serve as “a globa
China bans Scratch, MIT’s programming language for kids
China’s enthusiasm for teaching children to code is facing a new roadblock as organizations and students lose an essential tool: the Scratch programming language developed by the Lifelong Kinder
Qualcomm-powered Chinese XR startup Nreal raises $40 million
Nreal, one of the most-watched mixed reality startups in China, just secured $40 million from a group of high-profile investors in a Series B round that could potentially bring more adoption to its po
Xiaomi backs Dyson’s Chinese challenger Dreame in $15 million round
Once known for its affordable smartphones, Xiaomi has in recent years been transforming itself into an online mall for consumer electronics by making deals and building relationships with hundreds of
PropertyGuru lands $220M from KKR and TPG to conquer Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia’s leading property listing company PropertyGuru is making great strides across the region as it secures a fresh investment of SG$300 million ($220 million), it announced this week
China’s logistics titan YTO nets close to $1B from Alibaba in overseas push
E-commerce has brought in a logistics boom in China over the last decade, transforming small-town delivery businesses into multinational corporations. One leading player, YTO, is gearing up for intern
TikTok parent ByteDance says it will ‘strictly follow’ China export controls
While Beijing has repeatedly spoken out against Washington’s pressure on Huawei, it has remained relatively quiet amid TikTok’s recent struggles in the U.S. As the red-hot video app approa
Podcast is social: How China’s Lizhi makes audio interactive
For Marco Lai, the founder of Chinese podcast network Lizhi, radio has always been social. Twenty years ago, the entrepreneur was a host at a radio station in southern China. He ran a late-night progr
TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer resigns after 100 days
Kevin Mayer, the chief executive of TikTok, announced on Wednesday that he is resigning, just over 100 days after the former Disney executive joined the world’s largest short-video app in mid-M
Meet the startups from Brinc’s first online Demo Day
Like other accelerators, Brinc hasn’t let 2020 get in the way of its program for early-stage startups. The firm is known for focusing on food technology, health tech, clean energy and hardware, and
BlackBerry makes China push as the OS for Xpeng smart cars
The once-pioneering BlackBerry is pretty much out of the smartphone manufacturing game, but the Canadian company has been busy transitioning to providing software for connected devices, including smar
Pinduoduo’s latest aim: Sell $145 billion of farm produce in 2025
Still working to turn a profit and shake off its fake-goods reputation, China’s e-commerce upstart Pinduoduo set itself another ambitious goal for 2025: surpass 1 trillion yuan or $145 billion a
China is building a GitHub alternative called Gitee
The technological decoupling between the U.S. and China has been a boon to Chinese firms — from chipmakers for smartphones and electric vehicles through to software — that are the backbone
JD.com’s 1-year-old health unicorn to get $830M from Hillhouse
In recent years, China’s online shopping titans have been muscling into the prescription drug market. When JD.com, Alibaba’s archrival, realized the health market spans well beyond retail,
Hong Kong’s food e-commerce startup DayDayCook raises $20 million
The food blogging community in China is booming, and many creators have been cashing in big time by touting food products to loyal followers, a business model that has lured investors. This week, Hong
DST Global pumps $35 million into Asian e-grocer Weee!
Coronavirus stay-home orders have sparked an unprecedented demand for grocery delivery around the world. Now investors are clamoring to bet on promising players in the field. That includes DST Global,