China Internet Report reveals how tech firms have gone from copycats to trailblazers

The China Internet Report 2019 offers insight into key China technology trends, with deep dives into 11 key sectors and expert commentary from industry leaders

China currently holds the most number of 5G patents, and has 5G pilot projects going in over a dozen cities with a total population of 167 million

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The second edition of the China Internet Report was launched at Hong Kong’s RISE conference on Wednesday. Photo: SCMP

Published: 4:19pm, 10 Jul 2019Updated: 6:48am, 12 Jul 2019

China’s internet giants used to be called copycats for creating clones of Western social media platforms back in their home market – but those days are long gone and that trend is now in reverse.

Today, global internet companies from the US to Southeast Asia are looking to replicate Chinese concepts – from models such as the all-in-one super app, to social commerce as well as short video, according to findings from the China Internet Report 2019.

The second edition of the China Internet Report, launched at Hong Kong’s RISE conference on Wednesday, delves into China’s drive to be a global leader in innovation and examines opportunities and challenges facing its technology-led industrial transformation.

The report was authored by the South China Morning Post and its sister site Abacus, in conjunction with Edith Yeung, managing partner at blockchain venture capital fund Proof of Capital.

Companies such as Indonesian ride-hailing company Go-jek, Japan’s LINE messaging app and even Facebook in the US are now moving towards the super-app model, originally pioneered by Tencent’s WeChat, the report found. The WeChat messaging app offers users a range of services from making mobile payments to ordering food deliveries, that can all be accessed without leaving the app.

China is also leading the way in social e-commerce as well as short video. The short video craze was popularised by TikTok, an app by Chinese company Bytedance, that allows users to post 15-second video clips. TikTok took the world by storm and became the most downloaded app on the iOS app store for five consecutive quarters.

Another key trend for China technology this year revolves around China’s ambitions to lead in next-generation 5G technology networks. China currently holds the most number of 5G patents, and has 5G pilot projects going in over a dozen cities with a total population of 167 million, according to the report.