Tech Buzz China Video Edition: Social Credit, Temu Demystified
Tech Buzz China Video Edition: Social Credit, Temu Demystified
Introduction
This week we have something a bit different for you on Tech Buzz China. Instead of our deep-dive reports, we bring you a number of videos. It’s sort of a return to the days when Rui Ma used to publish ‘live casts’ on Tech Buzz China’s YouTube channel.
In this newsletter, you will find a recording of an extensive interview with Vincent Brussee, the author of Social Credit Social Credit - The Warring States of China’s Emerging Data Empire. We also include a short announcement by Kaiser Kuo about the upcoming ‘Sinica x Tech Buzz China’ study tour. Finally, we’re sharing a recording of a keynote about Temu that Tech Buzz China research editor Ed Sander gave in Zürich, Switzerland, in May.
We will return to our regular reports in two weeks but do let us know what you think about this new format. If you like it, we might do more like this in the future.
Social Credit with Vincent Brussee
China’s Social Credit System remains a topic that continues to result in heated debates. Persistent myths about ‘scoring’ rear their ugly heads on social media every couple of months. Close investigation shows that, on the one hand, the social credit system is a lot less dystopian than some of the myths might have you believe. On the other hand, it does come with a lot of existing and potential problems.
Tech Buzz China met up with Vincent Brussee, a PhD candidate at Leiden University, to discuss social credit. Vincent recently published the first comprehensive book about social credit, and together with Tech Buzz China’s Ed Sander, he discusses:
what social credit is and isn’t
pilot projects that were the source of many persistent myths
problems and dangers of the real social credit system
social credit and the COVID health codes
Ant Group’s Sesame Credit and Baihang Credit
does the system actually work?
what to expect from social credit in the future
Below, you can listen to the interview as a podcast or watch the video of the interview.
You can contact or follow Vincent on:
Vincent’s printed book is a bit pricey as an academic publication, but you can rent it on Kindle. Click here for the options on Amazon.
Study Tour: China’s Breakneck Modernization - Causes and Consequences
Tech Buzz China has teamed up with the Sinica Podcast to deliver a one-week study tour to China in October 2024. In the short video below, Kaiser Kuo, host of the Sinica Podcast, tells you more about the tour.
For more information about the tour, visit the tour detail page.
Registration for this tour closes September 1st and we have limited seats available.
Keynote: Temu Demystified
In May and June, Tech Buzz China research editor Ed Sander was invited to several European e-commerce conferences to give a keynote on Temu. The sessions ranged from 25 to 60 minutes, and Ed shared many of the findings from our Tech Buzz China reports on Temu.
The video below contains a recording of his presentation at the Score! Conference in Zürich, Switzerland. If you are considering joining the aforementioned study tour, this gives you an idea of the lectures Ed will give during that tour.
Ed has been working on Tech Buzz China’s fifth report on Temu, investigating topics like the semi-managed model's results, compliance, and profitability. We will publish it on Tech Buzz China later this month. Stay tuned!