Eastly - Issue #7 | The End For Chinese Tech In America? 🦅
By Eastly.co | Asia Tech News • Issue #7
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The biggest Asian tech news this week comes from America: following Donald Trump’s decision to ban two of China’s biggest tech exports – WeChat & TikTok – Stateside.
The current US President cites surveillance, data privacy, and ‘human rights abuses’, as just some of the concerns driving the ban. However, considering WeChat’s dominance in East and Southeast Asia – and users’ reliance on this service to communicate with US-based family and friends – it’s clear who will lose out the most.
Could this signal a backlash from Chinese companies? Only time will tell. But already Apple, which has a strong presence in China, is set to suffer the longer-term ramifications.
Indonesian Success Story Dines Out On Investment
Woo-hoo, for Wahyoo!
Date: 05 August, 2020
Jakarta-based Wahyoo gets $5 million Series A to help small eateries and street food vendors digitize their operations and automate back-end tasks such as ordering supplies and managing finances.
The round was led by VC firm Intudo, but also included Kinesys Group, Amatil X, Arkblu Capital, Indogen Capital, and Isenta Hioe.
The funds will be used to hire more staff and to expand operations overseas.
Trump Turns Up Heat On TikTok & WeChat
US vs. China
Date: 07 August, 2020
US President Donald Trump signed two Executive Orders on August 6, banning WeChat and TikTok, two popular social media apps made by Chinese companies.
Set to come into force 45 days after the date of the orders – September 20 – the order state that “any person or business under the jurisdiction of the US will be banned from any transactions with the two apps, their respective maker, i.e. Tencent and ByteDance, and any subsidiary of these two companies”.
WeChat’s parent company, Tencent, holds a minority stake in many different games and tech companies – including numerous US-based businesses. However, it’s believed that the ban won’t impact any of the other apps or services either company: meaning popular games like League of Legends and Fortnite remain safe – for the time being.
Source: https://en.pingwest.com/a/7452
DiDi, China’s Answer To Uber, Enters Russian Market
Uber alternative for ‘Mother Russia’
Date: 07 August, 2020
In a bold move, and following successful launches in Latin America, Australia, and Japan, Chinese ride-hailing app, DiDi has recently begun recruiting new drivers in the Russian city of Kazan – in preparation for providing travel services in the city.
Some 400+ miles from Moscow, the Russian capital, Kazan is thought to serve as a test market for a wider Russian launch. Currently, DiDi continues to provide local users with travel and takeaway services in eight different countries.
Source: https://36kr.com/p/827820633989508
EV Company, Xiaopeng Motors, Charts Course To IPO
Another one to rival Tesla
Date: 07 August, 2020
Electric vehicle (EV) company, Xiaopeng Motor, formally submitted a prospectus to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently – with designs on launching on the New York Stock Exchange.
Given Xiaopeng’s high-quality, low-cost approach to building electric vehicles, the Chinese EV auto marque has been throwing down the gauntlet to the likes of Tesla, for some time now – and it looks like it’ll continue to do so.
Source: https://cleantechnica.com/2020/08/07/xpeng-files-for-ipo-on-nyse-looking-through-xpengs-history/
MediaTek Building 5G PC With Intel – Set To Launch In 2021
5G as standard
Date: 07 August, 2020
The Taiwanese semiconductor company, MediaTek, has joined forces with Intel to develop and certify 5G modem data cards – specifically for a suite of new Intel notebooks set to launch early next year.
While it’s early days, this development could well mean that the next generation of personal computers soon has 5G roaming as standard.
Source: https://36kr.com/p/827408865337472
Notes:
WeChat: Nearly three-quarters of mobile users in China (73%) use WeChat as an instant messaging, social networking, and payment platform.
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