As usual we end our S3 Newsletter with some articles not so closely related to the S3 business world.
On this occasion, we continue with both the list of the 10 most notable Chinese companies and the list focusing on the 10 most popular hobbies in China, this time with a focus on the first modern hobby.
Top 10 Chinese companies
After highlighting the most relevant aspects of BYD (automotive), Kweichow Moutai (alcoholic beverages), Tencent (internet and video games), the Sinopec/PetroChina duo (energy), ICBC (banking), China Mobile (mobile networks) and Huawei (mobile devices), we continue with the absolute leader in the Chinese ride-sharing market: DiDi.
DiDi, with its full name “Beijing DiDi Chuxing Technology Company”, was founded in 2012 by Cheng Wei and can be considered Uber’s largest (and almost only) true global competitor.
The name “DiDi” means “younger brother” in Chinese and has affectionate connotations in many cultures.
The company currently operates in 4,000 cities in 18 countries, far fewer than Uber, but its dominance in China and Latin America is a factor to be definitely reckoned with.
In fact, Uber tried to enter China, but failed and ended up selling its Chinese operations to DiDi, buying a small stake in the local leader in the process and abandoning the market.
Currently, the largest investors in DiDi are Japan’s SoftBank and China’s Tencent (owner of WeChat, among others).
Top 10 most popular hobbies in China
Once again, we will delve into the daily lives of Chinese citizens, discovering what they do when they are not working, studying or spending time with their families.
In previous editions of the S3 Newsletter, we focused on calligraphy, mahjong, tai chi and tea culture, the so-called “traditional” hobbies. Now, let’s move on to the top 5 of modern hobbies!
If one had to name a quintessential Chinese sport, ping-pong or table tennis would undoubtedly be the most common answer.
Efectivamente es uno de los cinco hobbies modernos más relevantes en China, donde goza de una inmensa popularidad, pero… ¡de donde no es originario! It is indeed one of the five most popular modern hobbies in China, where it enjoys immense popularity, but… it did not originate there!
Table tennis was born in the late 19th century in England as a spin-off from tennis.
China’s dominance in table tennis began in 1959, when Rong Guotuan won the world singles championship; in fact, it was China’s first world title in any sport.
Since it became an Olympic sport (Seoul, 1988), China has won 88% of all gold medals, including all gold medals at the Paris Olympics (2024).
As a popular hobby, table tennis is noteworthy because it fills the population with pride due to its global dominance, it is an inexpensive sport for those who play it, it is played by all ages, and it is very popular on television.
It is worth noting the “ping-pong diplomacy” of 1971, when relations between China and the US improved substantially following visits by the respective national teams to play in tournaments.
