Articles by Yuan Guobao

Why half of Chinese youths want to be an influencer

Recently, an influencer from Zhengzhou in China reportedly repaid about six million RMB in back taxes, prompting people to question how much influencers or internet celebrities actually make. Do all influencers earn top dollar? Media commentator Yuan Guobao looks into the highs and lows of this volatile industry.

Yuan Guobao

Taishan Club: The rise and fall of a secretive roundtable of China's richest

Few may have heard of the Taishan Club, and even fewer would have been admitted. How did it come about, and why was it dissolved earlier this year? Commentator Yuan Guobao gives us a glimpse into this secretive group of super-elite businesspersons with high net worth.

Yuan Guobao

What the Chinese government wants to tell Alibaba and China's tech giants [Part II]

Alibaba was fined a record 18.2 billion RMB after an anti-monopoly probe. Commentator Yuan Guobao observes that Alibaba is not the only tech giant in China accused of monopolistic practices; for that matter, the "big four" companies in the US have also come under the spotlight. All this suggests that on a global level, tech companies must be prepared to adhere to a strict regulatory environment, even as they break new ground.

Yuan Guobao

Is Alibaba doomed? [Part I]

Alibaba was recently slapped with a 18.2 billion RMB fine and has acquiesced to state authorities' demands for "rectification''. Commentator Yuan Guobao asserts that Alibaba's "choose one out of two" policy of tying online merchants down to exclusive deals was already sounding alarm bells. Jack Ma's politically incorrect speech at the Shanghai Bund Summit may have been a fire starter, but the tech giant's troubles have been brewing for quite some time.

Yuan Guobao