China Media and Entertainment Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 86 Week of 2 February 2026
(1) Apple’s Shot on iPhone Chinese New Year film blends live action with stop-motion craft
Apple’s Glad I Met You, directed by Bai Xue, blends live-action and stop-motion to tell a heartwarming Chinese New Year tale of Lin Wei and stray dog Little White finding solace together. Shot on iPhone 17 Pro, it spotlights innovative animation and pet-bonding across social platforms.
(2) ByteDance founder tops Forbes China Rich List as AI newcomer debuts
ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming has become China’s richest person with US$69.3 billion
(3) Tencent’s red packet cash giveaway work again in crowded AI market?
Tencent launched a massive 1 billion yuan cash promotion for its Yuanbao AI app to challenge market leaders like ByteDance’s Doubao during Lunar New Year, but analysts doubt subsidies can replicate WeChat Pay’s past success in the crowded AI space.
(4) China’s Baidu merges key app businesses to drive consumer AI push
Baidu merges its Wenku document-sharing and Wangpan cloud storage apps into the Personal Super Intelligence Business Group (PSIG) to bolster consumer AI offerings amid fierce competition from Alibaba and Tencent in China’s evolving market.
(5) K-Pop Giant JYP’s China Unit and South Korea’s CJ ENM Strike Joint Venture with Tencent Music
CJ ENM has launched ONECEAD, a joint venture with JYP CHINA and Tencent Music Entertainment, targeting Greater China’s music market. Debuting with boy group MODYSSEY from reality show PLANET C: HOME RACE, it focuses on artist development, production, live events, and merchandise.
(6) Giuli visits Beijing, a film co-production agreement signed between Italy and China.
Italian Culture Minister Alexander Giuli signed a film co-production agreement with China’s state media company China Media Group during a Beijing visit, renewing ties expired since 2021. The deal boosts Italian cinema’s global reach amid exhibitions, meetings, and cultural exchanges marking bilateral milestones.
(7) Veteran Taiwanese music producer Yuan Weiren dies at 57 after eight years in a coma
Taiwanese songwriter Yuan Weiren, songwriters of Mandopop hits for Faye Wong and Na Ying, died at 57 on 2 February 2026 after being bedridden for eight years from a brain hemorrhage and tumor.
(8) HK Phil brings the world of music closer to young audiences
HK Phil engages young audiences through initiatives like the Jockey Club TUTTI Programme and Cinematic Adventures concerts, reaching over 40,000 students yearly while fostering future musicians via partnerships and professional training.
(9) Mayday’s 25th anniversary tour to return to Hong Kong with four shows at Kai Tak
Mayday will bring its 25th anniversary world tour back to Hong Kong for four concerts at Kai Tak Stadium
(10) Barbie Hsu remembered on first death anniversary as memorial statue unveiled; celebs pay tribute
Barbie Hsu’s family and Meteor Garden castmates unveiled a personally designed memorial statue by her husband Koo Junyup on the first anniversary of her death in Japan, where he continues to visit her grave daily amid ongoing grief.
(11) K-pop concerts face renewed uncertainty in Greater China
Cancellations of K-pop events like Hong Kong’s Dream Concert and Macao’s Show! Music Core have sparked renewed speculation of unofficial restrictions in Greater China.
(12) A Harry Potter villain is now an unlikely new-year mascot in China
In the upcoming Year of the Horse, Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter’s Slytherin villain, has become an unlikely Lunar New Year mascot in China due to his Mandarin name being a homophone of “horse fortune”.
(1) Apple’s Shot on iPhone Chinese New Year film blends live action with stop-motion craft
(Photo Credit: Glad I Met You. Directed by Bai Xue, produced by TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Shanghai, 2026)
Apple’s latest Chinese New Year instalment in its Shot on iPhone series, Glad I Met You, blends live-action and stop-motion animation into a touching tale directed by acclaimed filmmaker Bai Xue and produced by TBWA\Media Arts Lab Shanghai. The film follows Lin Wei, a lonely soul, and a stray dog named Little White as they stumble through comical mishaps during the festive season, ultimately finding comfort and renewed purpose in their unlikely bond. In particular, Bai Xue spotlights the heartfelt reunion of Little White and Lin Wei as the emotional climax of the film.
On set, animal coordinator Hao Shuai appreciated the iPhone’s compact design for keeping animals undisturbed, while cinematographer Gao Wei Zhe lauded its 8x zoom for framing intimate character moments against bustling festival backdrops, mimicking animal-eye views with its lightweight agility.
The stop-motion sequences showcased handcrafted puppets by creative studio BUCK with intricate internal armatures enduring thousands of tiny adjustments. Over 20 unique, 3D-printed mouth expressions per character, hand-painted and swapped frame by frame synced perfectly with voice performances by prominent Chinese actors.
Beyond the film, the integrated campaign spans broadcast, digital, and social platforms, and encourages audiences to capture their own pets during Chinese New Year. Douyin pet creator Ke Ming, who voices one of the animated characters, also made a behind-the-scenes vlog about the production process.
News Source: https://marketech-apac.com/apples-shot-on-iphone-chinese-new-year-film-blends-live-action-with-stop-motion-craft/
(2) ByteDance founder tops Forbes China Rich List as AI newcomer debuts
(Photo Credit: The Standard)
According to Forbes’ January 2026 China Rich List, ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming now ranks as China’s richest person at US$69.3 billion, surpassing Nongfu Spring’s Zhong Shanshan. Zhong, who dominated the top spot for five years thanks to bottled water fortunes, now sits close behind at around US$68 billion.
The top ten continues to showcase tech heavyweights like Tencent’s Pony Ma, CATL’s Robin Zeng, NetEase’s William Ding, and Hong Kong’s Li Ka-shing, with Xiaomi’s Lei Jun (US$30.4b) and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma (US$29.6b) also ranking high.
It is also notable that DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng, aged 40 and a Zhejiang University alumnus, transitioned from the quant finance firm High-Flyer to launching an AI startup backed by investors like Nvidia and Sequoia. Although without a public listing, he now enters prominently at US$11.5 billion (around rank 34). His AI startup, valued at around US$15 billion, gained traction with its low-cost R1 model rivaling OpenAI’s offerings.
News Source: https://www.thestandard.com.hk/china-news/article/323302/ByteDance-founder-tops-Forbes-China-Rich-List-as-AI-newcomer-debuts
(3) Tencent’s red packet cash giveaway work again in crowded AI market?
(Photo Credit: SCMP)
Tencent is aggressively promoting its AI app Yuanbao with a 1 billion yuan (US$144 million) cash giveaway campaign using digital red packets, aiming to replicate WeChat Pay’s explosive growth from a decade ago by flooding WeChat groups with referral links. The launch propelled Yuanbao to the top of Apple’s iOS free app chart, though it briefly crashed from traffic overload, while rivals like Alibaba’s Qwen countered with a larger 3 billion yuan promotion offering free meals and perks across its ecosystem.
ByteDance’s Doubao remains China’s leading consumer AI app with 155 million weekly active users, ahead of DeepSeek, Yuanbao, Ant Group’s Ant A-Fu, and Qwen, as the Lunar New Year sees heavy spending from Big Tech players including Baidu’s 500 million yuan red packet push and ByteDance’s tie-up with the Spring Festival Gala.
Analysts doubt subsidies alone can break entrenched user habits in the crowded AI market, unlike the less competitive payments space of 2015, warning Yuanbao needs a unique edge to avoid the fate of Tencent’s failed Weishi short-video push against Douyin, positioning it as more “nice-to-have” than essential.
News Source: https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342111/red-packet-rumble-will-tencents-cash-giveaway-work-again-crowded-ai-market
(4) China’s Baidu merges key app businesses to drive consumer AI push
(Photo Credit: Simon Song, SCMP)
Baidu has consolidated two key consumer apps: online document-sharing platform Wenku and cloud storage service Wangpan into a new AI-centric unit called the Personal Super Intelligence Business Group (PSIG). This major reorganization, one of the largest in two years, aims to sharpen Baidu’s edge in China’s cutthroat consumer AI landscape, where tech giants vie to transform services into versatile “super apps.” According to sources cited by Caijing Magazine, PSIG will be led by vice-president Wang Ying, who previously managed both businesses and will report directly to CEO Robin Li.
The shift underscores Baidu’s commercialization drive as traditional ad revenue wanes and users flock to AI chatbots for searches. Analyst Zhang Yi of iiMedia Research notes that deeper AI integration in premium services such as Wenku and Wangpan could expand paying subscribers and fuel data for personalized tools.
Competitors are accelerating as well: Alibaba recently linked its Qwen AI app to broader services, while Tencent and Baidu earmarked 1 billion yuan and 500 million yuan respectively for Lunar New Year campaigns to draw in new users to their respective AI chatbot apps. Baidu did not comment, but the move signals a broader industry pivot from model supremacy to seamless AI embedding across business lines.
News Source: https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3341294/chinas-baidu-merges-key-app-businesses-drive-consumer-ai-push
(5) K-Pop Giant JYP’s China Unit and South Korea’s CJ ENM Strike Joint Venture with Tencent Music
(Photo Credit: MODYSSEY)
South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM has formed ONECEAD, a strategic joint venture with JYP CHINA and Tencent Music Entertainment (TME), China’s leading music streaming operator behind QQ Music, Kugou, Kuwo, and WeSing. Established through NCC Entertainment, the partnership merges CJ ENM’s content production prowess with local networks to cultivate artists for regional and global appeal in Greater China.
ONECEAD’s inaugural project centers on managing seven-member boy group MODYSSEY, formed via Chinese reality program PLANET C: HOME RACE. The venture aims to build a full-spectrum music ecosystem, encompassing artist management, production, live events, touring, and merchandise, mirroring CJ ENM’s successful LAPONE Entertainment JV in Japan, which launched global hits such as JO1 and INI.
This collaboration signals thawing Sino-Korean ties after years of tension, including an unofficial K-pop performance ban in China since 2016-2017. Recent moves including Kakao’s K-pop chart partnership with Chinese and Japanese streaming providers, KBS’s media deal with China state media company China Media Group, and HYBE’s Beijing office launch have paved the way for South Korean entertainment companies to expand beyond their home market amid the continued rise in Kpop’s global popularity.
(6) Giuli visits Beijing, a film co-production agreement signed between Italy and China.
(Photo credit: Agenzia Nova)
Italian Culture Minister Alexander Giuli visited Beijing on 2 February 2025 to sign a renewed film co-production agreement with China state media company China Media Group president Shen Haixiong, succeeding a pact that lapsed in 2021. Giuli hailed it as vital for internationalizing Italian cinema, calling film a universal bridge blending memory, vision, and shared knowledge to unite cultures. Undersecretary Lucia Borgonzoni cited years of collaboration between the two countries for captivating Chinese audiences to Italian cinema and unlocking market access for Italian filmmakers.
The co-production agreement enables Italian and Chinese filmmakers to jointly produce films in both countries. It also aims to achieve deeper creative partnerships by facilitating cross-border talent exchange and the shared use of filming locations and technical resources.
Giuli met counterpart Minister of Culture and Tourism Sun Yeli for further cultural exchange. Planned activities included touring the National Museum of Art of China and the Italian Library at Peking University, as well as attending a seminar promoting the recognition of Italian cuisine as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage at the Italian Cultural Institute.
This visit builds on earlier diplomatic efforts. In March 2025, Giuli met Chinese Ambassador Jia Guide to review the 2024-2027 China-Italy Strategic Partnership Action Plan, signed last year by Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Giuli described cultural cooperation as a cornerstone of Italy-China relations, especially vital today for encouraging cross-civilization dialogue and respect. Jia also expressed gratitude to Italy for returning 56 smuggled artifacts to China.
The trip also followed Italy’s Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini’s November visit for the Italy-China Science Week, where both nations inked 31 agreements to boost academic exchanges, joint research centers, professor and student mobility, and collaborative projects.
(7) Veteran Taiwanese music producer Yuan Weiren dies at 57 after eight years in a coma
(Photo Credit: The Standard)
Veteran Taiwanese music producer Yuan Weiren, renowned for shaping Mandopop’s golden era, passed away peacefully at his Taitung home on Monday at age 57, music executive Eric Chen confirmed via a statement from Yuan’s family. Yuan had been bedridden for nearly eight years following a collapse in 2018 from a fall-induced brain hemorrhage, which was later revealed to be a tumor. Yuan underwent surgery but suffered a second fall, leaving him in a vegetative state despite recuperation in Taiwan.
Having risen to fame in 1991 as part of duo Fanren and winning the Golden Melody Award for Best Vocal Group twice, Yuan pivoted to music production and became a powerhouse in the Sinophone music industry. He propelled mainland star Na Ying into Taiwan with seminal tracks such as Conquer, Just a Dream, and Awaken, helping her become the first mainland Chinese singer to be nominated for Best Female Singer at the Golden Melody Awards. He also produced S.H.E’s 2003 compilation album Together, released on 23 January 2003 by HIM International Music.
He later earned broader fame as a judge on talent show One Million Star, where his measured critiques and trademark encouragement made him endearing to audiences.
In a statement shared by his sister, Yuan “left peacefully”, and he is to be buried next to his father, as per his wishes.
Since his death, tributes from the music industry flooded inn, with many lauding the behind-the-scenes maestro whose work shaped a generation of Mandopop icons.
(8) HK Phil brings the world of music closer to young audiences
(Photo Credit: The Standard)
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is actively working to make classical music more accessible and engaging for the younger generation through its comprehensive education and outreach initiatives. A cornerstone of these efforts is the “Jockey Club TUTTI Programme,” a flagship initiative designed to nurture local musical talent and provide students with opportunities to learn from world-class masters. By offering masterclasses, open rehearsals, and free concert tickets, the orchestra is breaking down barriers and allowing young people to experience the power of live orchestral music firsthand.
To further bridge the gap between classical traditions and modern youth interests, the HK Phil has curated programmes that resonate with younger audiences, such as the recent “Swire Community Concert: Cinematic Adventures.” Held in late January 2026, this event featured iconic movie scores, using familiar melodies to introduce children and families to the symphonic soundscape in a fun, relaxed environment. These community concerts serve as an inviting entry point, proving that orchestral music can be both entertaining and relevant to contemporary culture.
Beyond entertainment, the orchestra is committed to deep educational impact, engaging over 40,000 students annually through its various school and community projects. Partnerships like “The Orchestra Academy Hong Kong,” supported by Swire and in collaboration with the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), offer structured professional training for aspiring musicians, ensuring a sustainable future for the city’s musical landscape. Through these combined efforts of performance, education, and professional development, the HK Phil is successfully cultivating a new wave of music lovers and makers
News Source: https://www.thestandard.com.hk/arts-and-culture/article/323334/HK-Phil-brings-the-world-of-music-closer-to-young-audiences
(9) Mayday’s 25th anniversary tour to return to Hong Kong with four shows at Kai Tak
(Photo Credit: The Standaed)
Taiwanese rock band Mayday will bring its 25th anniversary world tour back to Hong Kong with four shows at the new Kai Tak Stadium in late March 2026 (March 24, 25, 27, and 28), marking a major homecoming for local fans.
The concerts, titled “2026 MAYDAY #5525 LIVE TOUR IN HONG KONG,” promise a massive stage setup with a hundreds-of-millions budget, featuring a huge spherical screen designed to amplify sing-along moments and create a spectacular “sea of lights” visual effect.
The shows will center on memories and reflection, taking audiences on a musical journey spanning over 25 years of the band’s career, revisiting classic hits in a milestone celebration. Ticketing details will be announced later.
(10) Barbie Hsu remembered on first death anniversary as memorial statue unveiled; celebs pay tribute
(Photo Credit: The Standard)
Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu was remembered by family and friends on the first anniversary of her death with the unveiling of a memorial statue at the Eternal Memory in Japan, where she was laid to rest after passing away on 2 February 2025, at age 48.
Her husband Koo Junyup personally designed the statue, which features a marble base and a distinctive nine-step “S”-shaped pathway symbolizing Hsu’s name and their relationship, including a nod to her ankle tattoo of the number “nine” (a phonetic play on Koo’s Korean surname).
Despite rainy weather, attendees included Hsu’s mother, sister Dee Hsu, and Meteor Garden castmates like Jerry Yan, Vic Chou, Rainie Yang and Show Lo, while Koo, who visits her grave daily, spoke of his ongoing grief and devotion on a recent Korean TV programme.
News Source: https://www.thestandard.com.hk/hk-and-china-showbiz/article/323367/Barbie-Hsu-remembered-on-first-death-anniversary-as-memorial-statue-unveiled-celebs-pay-tribute
(11) K-pop concerts face renewed uncertainty in Greater China
(Photo Credit: KEPA/THE KOREA HERALD)
A spate of recent cancellations and indefinite postponements of major K-pop concerts across the Greater China region, including Hong Kong and Macao, has revived speculation that informal restrictions on Korean pop culture may still persist despite signs of thawing.
Dream Concert 2026 in Hong Kong was originally set for 6 to7 February 2026, which was organized by Korea’s Entertainment Producer’s Association (“KEPA”) and From Entertainment with Chinese partner Changsha Liu Jiu Cultural Heritage Corp. However, the event was postponed by the Chinese partner without prior agreement of KEPA. A similar “Dream Concert” planned at Kai Tak Stadium and MBC’s “Show! Music Core” in Macao were also cancelled or postponed around the same time, reinforcing suspicion of underlying political or regulatory barriers.
The Hong Kong Dream Concert had attracted strong fan interest, with nearly 100,000 people registered for ticket updates amid featured headline acts such as Exo‑CBX, Hwasa, Taemin, and The Boyz. It seems no nationality issues were involved, as there were no Japanese artists on the lineup. KEPA vice-chair Jeon Duk‑jung said the Chinese partner justified the postponement on low projected ticket sales, though he found this unconvincing since K-pop concerts often sell heavily on-site.
Still, sales were slow, with only 4,000 of 50,000 seats sold in nearly a month. It was analysed the slow sales may be caused by scheduling and lineup competition between the two events, Dream Concert (Feb. 6–7) and “Show! Music Core” (Feb. 7–8),which targeted overlapping audiences and had similar artist rosters. The Chinese co‑organizer reportedly pushed for a stronger lineup, later judging Dream Concert’s to be weaker, which may have driven the decision to delay.
News Source: https://asianews.network/k-pop-concerts-face-renewed-uncertainty-in-greater-china/
(12) A Harry Potter villain is now an unlikely new-year mascot in China
(Photo Credit: Kaolisoswet/Douyin)
China gears up for the Lunar New Year on 17 February 2026 in anticipation for the coming of the Year of the Horse. This year, Draco Malfoy, the sneering Hogwarts antagonist from J.K. Rowling’s series Harry Potter, has unexpectedly emerged as a lucky charm. Social media buzzes with videos of red spring fai chuns featuring the blond teen’s smirking face plastered on doors, fridges, and mall banners, blending Western pop culture with traditional festivities wishing wealth and health.
The charm lies in linguistics: Malfoy’s Mandarin transliteration, “Ma Er Fu,” is a homophone to “Ma” (horse, 馬) and “Fu” (fortune, 福), phonetically promising fortune in the year of the horse. Netizens have taken to social media plaforms Douyin and Xiaohongshu to showcase such creative displays, such as a Henan mall’s electronic couplets centering Malfoy as well as office gifts of his image.
Harry Potter’s massive footprint in China fuels the trend. According to its Chinese publisher, nearly 10 million translated copies of books were sold even before the last instalment was released in 2007. According to state news agency Xinhua, when the re-mastered version of the first Harry Potter movie was released again in 2020, the film raked in $27.6 million at China’s box office.
E-commerce hustlers have also capitalized on the trend, hawking the posters on platforms such as Pinduoduo and Taobao.
In response, actor Tom Felton (who played Draco Malfoy in his early career), celebrated the trend on Instagram by reposting a photo of a mall banner with his face plastered on it.
News Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/04/world/draco-malfoy-china-new-year-mascot-intl-hnk
