Chinese Digital and Mobile Platforms

Abstract

This chapter examines the characteristics of the main Chinese digital platforms. Starting with an analysis of the platforms controlled by leading players, i.e., Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu, the emergence of new entrants including ByteDance, the developer of TikTok, is also considered. A particular focus is devoted to e-commerce as online shopping represents a primary activity for Chinese users, who mostly purchase products through mobile commerce (m-commerce) platforms. Finally, among China’s digital ecosystem, mobile payments systems represent a key function both online and offline.