China’s rapid economic growth over the preceding decades has also turned it into one of the world’s technological powers. Its digital companies continue to be on the cutting edge and produce innovative breakthroughs. At the same time, their ability to expand outside of China’s borders has been limited, especially compared to Western competitors. This paper seeks to understand the traditional model of Chinese business and apply it to digital firms in China, with Tencent serving as a case study. The goal is to shed light on Chinese business practices, and help Westerners understand where we may be going moving forward.
Johnathan Medina is a Junior Researcher at the European Institute for Asian Studies