Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg also appears determined to crack the Chinese market by visiting Beijing and wowing an audience with his Mandarin. And China’s tech industry has some more exciting news to share this week. Apple has said it plans to open 25 more stores in China and CEO Tim Cook said it’s investing “like crazy” in the market. Other news includes Xiaomi’s migration of international users’ data to overseas and the unveiling of Baidu’s smart bike called the DuBike.
Facebook’s Zuckerberg Shows Off His Chinese Language Skill
Facebook may not have sat well with the Chinese authorities, but company founder Mark Zuckerberg appears to have charmed an audience of students in Beijing with his Chinese language skills. On Wednesday, Zuckerberg participated in a 30-minute Q&A conducted entirely in Mandarin. Speaking to a group of students at Tsinghua University, the 30-year-old billionaire said,” My Chinese is very bad, but I’ll try to use Chinese today.” In 2010, Zuckerberg announced on his Facebook page that learning Mandarin was his personal challenge for the year. He added that language is the best way to understand another culture and he wants to know more about the Chinese culture. (Los Angeles Times)
Apple to Add More Stores in China
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook said he plans to more than double the number of Apple stores in the Greater China region over the next two years. He added that the number of outlets in the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan will be increased from 15 to 40. Sales from the China region contribute about 14% of Apple’s total revenue and Cook said it is only a matter of time before China becomes Apple’s largest market by sales. “There are more people graduating into the middle class in China than any nation on Earth in history,” he said. “We’re investing like crazy in the market.” (Bloomberg)
Xiaomi Is Moving International Users’ Data Out Of China
Chinese phone maker Xiaomi said it’s moving data belonging to international users to servers outside of China in an effort to protect their privacy. Xiaomi Vice President Hugo Barra said the migration process will be completed by the end of October. He added that international users are already experiencing website speed boost of at least 30% in markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and as much as 200% in India. Xiaomi, which has grown in less than five years to become one of the largest smartphone makers in the world, also plans to work with local providers in Brazil and India, so that its users can enjoy even faster speeds by connecting to local servers. (Tech Crunch)
Baidu’s Smart Bike Revealed
Chinese search giant Baidu gave the public their first look at a smart bike operating system called DuBike, yesterday. Baidu said the bikes are built with censors, artificial intelligence software and Internet data from Baidu that allow cyclists to track their routes and monitor their health stats, such as calories and heart rate. The DuBike system will also come with social networking functions, safeguards and a battery pack that can be used to recharge electronic devices. (Tech in Asia)
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