Tech China Post #77

WhatsApp tops list of apps where people spend the most time. Second on the list is WeChat. (link)

MIT Technology Review wrote about how China is using data and technology to govern its 1.4 billion people and society. (link)

Ren Zhiwu, head of the high-tech department of the National Development and Reform Commission, told a news briefing that China will closely monitor the impact from U.S.-China trade frictions on the technology industry. (Reuters)

China is now the world’s second-highest spender on television shows after the U.S. Total spend on television and streaming services reached $11 billion in 2017. Major media brands outside traditional television providers include Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent, all of which own online streaming services. Baidu owns majority of iQiyi, a Chinese streaming service with more than 60 million subscribers. Netflix has partnered with iQiyi to provide some Netflix content on iQiyi to penetrate Chinese market.(link)

Australia’s government has joined the US to effectively ban its wireless carriers from buying gear for 5G networks from Huawei and ZTE. This comes on the heel of an already tense relationship between China and Australia. (link)

Zheshang Bank, a commercial bank in China, has issued $66 million account receivable-backed securities on the blockchain. Lianrong, an internal blockchain infrastructure built by the bank, will facilitate the issuance and settlement of the asset-backed securities. (link)