This source, a newsletter titled "You Didn't Know! Keywords for Deeply Understanding Chinese IT," introduces the term BAT, representing China's major tech companies: Baidu (search), Alibaba (e-commerce), and Tencent (social media). It explains that BAT's significance isn't solely based on size, but on their control and distribution of internet traffic and their strategic investments that categorize many other tech companies as belonging to one of the three. The text illustrates this dynamic by detailing how Alibaba defended its e-commerce traffic from attempts by Tencent and Baidu to enter the space, highlighting the "Three Kingdoms" like power balance and competition in the Chinese internet landscape, though noting this structure is evolving.

This source, a newsletter by IT journalist Takemaki Makino, examines the rise of social commerce, specifically in China. It discusses how platforms like Pinduoduo and Yunji, which combine social interaction with online shopping, have achieved significant success and even listed on the U.S. Nasdaq exchange. The newsletter contrasts this model with traditional B2C e-commerce and explores whether social commerce is a uniquely Chinese phenomenon stemming from practices like "weishang" (micro-businesses), or a potential future trend for e-commerce globally. Ultimately, it invites the reader to consider the implications of this evolving retail landscape, particularly for countries like Japan.

This source, "Knowing More! Keywords for Deeply Understanding China's IT vol. 031" by Takemori Makino, examines the current state of autonomous driving in China. It highlights various implementations already underway, such as robotaxis, automated delivery vehicles, and self-driving buses operating in specific areas. The text emphasizes that China is moving beyond the testing phase and entering a practical deployment stage, driven by competition among cities and significant investment from companies like Baidu and Didi Chuxing. The author also touches on the regulatory changes that have facilitated this progress and the challenges still facing full autonomous driving, particularly in navigating unpredictable real-world scenarios and achieving widespread driverless operation.

This excerpt from an email newsletter titled "知らない！中国ITを深く理解するためのキーワード" (Unknown! Keywords for Deeply Understanding Chinese IT), written by IT journalist Takemaki Makino, focuses on five significant economic changes accelerating in China following the COVID-19 pandemic, based on a McKinsey & Company report titled "Fast Forward China." The report uniquely highlights shifts that were already in motion before the pandemic but were solidified and hastened by it, viewing the pandemic as an irreversible turning point rather than the sole cause of these changes. The author expands on these changes, which include accelerated digitalization, reduced foreign reliance, intensified competition, increased consumer maturity, and the growing societal influence of tech companies, using real-world examples to illustrate their impact on various sectors of the Chinese economy and suggesting potential lessons for other countries.

This source, an excerpt from a newsletter focused on Chinese IT, discusses the rise and impact of live commerce in China, presenting it as a significant third sales channel after traditional stores and e-commerce platforms. It explains the concept as interactive online broadcasts where hosts showcase products, allowing viewers to ask questions and make immediate purchases, and details the key players: hosts (celebrities, influencers, and especially small business owners and farmers who turned to live commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic), platforms (Taobao, Kuaishou, and TikTok), and e-commerce sites (Taobao, JD.com, and Pinduoduo). The text also highlights the benefits of this model for businesses like restaurants expanding into pre-cooked meal sales and department stores strengthening customer relationships, and notes how the pandemic accelerated its adoption and solidified its structure, making it a lasting force in Chinese retail.

This newsletter article by IT journalist Takemaki Makino introduces Didi Chuxing, a major Chinese mobility companythat began with a taxi-hailing app and has expanded to include various services like ride-sharing, bike-sharing, and on-demand buses, with ambitions towards implementing MaaS (Mobility as a Service). The article highlights Didi's current testing of robotaxis in Shanghai and its goal of deploying one million robotaxis by 2030, positioning itself as a leader in the evolving landscape of transportation services in China. It also provides a historical overview of Didi's formation and early challenges, including intense competition with rivals like Kuaidi Dache and Uber, as well as operational and safety issues. The text concludes by discussing Didi's advanced platform algorithms and AI integration for optimizing ride dispatchand considering the different models for MaaS implementation, including Didi's integrated approach versus multi-company collaborations seen elsewhere.

This source, titled "Understanding Chinese IT through Keywords vol. 027," focuses on the concept of "sinking markets" (下沈市場) in China, referring to provincial cities and rural areas where new business opportunities are emerging as urban markets become saturated. The author, Takefumi Makino, explains how the widespread adoption of smartphones and a shrinking gap in purchasing power between urban and rural populations have made these regions promising targets for companies. The article highlights Pinduoduo, a social e-commerce platform, as a prime example of a business that successfully leveraged the unique characteristics of these markets, such as a preference for domestic products and reliance on social recommendations.

This source, an article titled "Didn't Know! Keywords for Deeply Understanding Chinese IT Vol. 026," examines the potential return of Chinese tourists to Japan. Authored by IT journalist Takefumi Makino, the text analyzes survey data on Chinese citizens' travel intentions following the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly focusing on a large-scale study by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Tourism Research Center. The author explores factors influencing travel decisions, such as safety concerns, preferred destinations, and the timing of potential trips, offering insights for the Japanese tourism industry on how to attract these visitors. The article highlights a shift in travel preferences towards nature and historical/cultural experiences over traditional urban sightseeing and shopping. Ultimately, it suggests that the October Golden Week could be a significant turning point for the return of Chinese tourism to Japan.