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WeChat suspends new user registration for security compliance

reuters.com

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Re: WeChat suspends new user registration for security compliance

#71

Post by marderfarker2 »

refenestrator wrote: post #49
georgeecollins wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> The problem is that the CCP has nothing to replace this cultural vacuum with. I am no expert, but I disagree and I think this is the kind of thinking that has failed the west for the last thirty years. I think the idea started with the fall of the Soviet Union. That culture and ideology was bankrupt. So a lot of western people thought that when there was a free exchange of ideas with China, the Chinese would event…

There's an interesting phenomenon, specific to US tech, where there are a ton of Chinese who quietly have a problem with the recent anti-china rhetoric, but they're not going to put a target on their back over it, they stay quiet. How do you even engage with someone who doesn't speak a word of Chinese and is so confident that they know all about China? Meanwhile, the anti-china folks blithely go on about how much bet…

I feel like a lot of frustration in the west are due to a lack of voice from within China, who can explain the context and give their point of view. Instead all you get are these disjointed news and headlines without any depth to it. People then make assumptions based on it.

Re: WeChat suspends new user registration for security compliance

#72

Post by xrikcus »

fortuna86 wrote: post #61
rwmj wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or to be more precise, it works for a few days, then abruptly locks you out until a friend with a China phone number and bank account vouches for you.

And forget getting the weChat payment functionality working with a foreign bank.

It works pretty reliable with discoverbank cards, but that's because they are unionpay compatible. It was a complete mess getting the app to the point where it would let me use it for payments at all, though.

Re: WeChat suspends new user registration for security compliance

#73

Post by tablespoon »

georgeecollins wrote: post #44
vehemenz wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is that the CCP has nothing to replace this cultural vacuum with. They want to legislate a return to "old" (post 1949) values by banning foreign tutors, suppressing dissent on WeChat and Weibo, and doing generally authoritarian shit to encourage nationalism. Meanwhile, young, educated people almost exclusively consume the cultural products of the West, Korea, and Japan. And they find the North Korean styl…

>> The problem is that the CCP has nothing to replace this cultural vacuum with. I am no expert, but I disagree and I think this is the kind of thinking that has failed the west for the last thirty years. I think the idea started with the fall of the Soviet Union. That culture and ideology was bankrupt. So a lot of western people thought that when there was a free exchange of ideas with China, the Chinese would event…

I think you're broadly correct. With regard to China, a lot of people's understanding is driven in large part by wishful thinking, which is a serious weakness and vulnerability.

> Sure lots of people disagree with the party, but that doesn't that they want a western liberal democracy. So lots of people will speak in favor of a benevolent elite and against populism or what they see as western chaos or oppression. When people are against the government, they aren't wishing for a different government system, just less corrupt or more benevolent authoritarians.

I think it's important to note those views are in large part created an reinforced a deliberate propaganda program. For instance, I believe one of the ideas the Chinese government pushes is the Chinese people "aren't ready" for democracy (while carefully preventing anything that could make them ready). When educated Chinese people were better exposed to ideas about liberal democracy, they were very clear that they wanted it (e.g. 80s leading up to Tiananmen Square, the Liberal Studies curriculum in Hong Kong), but the government has learned from those episodes and has taken action to get the ideological results it desires.

Re: WeChat suspends new user registration for security compliance

#74

Post by hklutryhgg »

throwaway4good wrote: post #2

"Shares in Tencent plunged 9.0% in Hong Kong on Tuesday amid widespread market jitters over Chinese regulatory crackdowns on high-growth sectors, including online platforms and, most recently, private tutoring. Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index (.HSI) fell 4.2%." Fascinating how the Chinese authorities seem to be regulating the these companies with complete disregard on how the stock market might react.

There is speculation that China is clamping down on soft tech (social apps, ...) to encourage people to work on hard tech (hardware, ...).

China's semiconductor company spiked today on the stock market.

Re: WeChat suspends new user registration for security compliance

#75

Post by aerosmile »

paganel wrote: post #6
throwaway4good wrote: post #2

"Shares in Tencent plunged 9.0% in Hong Kong on Tuesday amid widespread market jitters over Chinese regulatory crackdowns on high-growth sectors, including online platforms and, most recently, private tutoring. Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index (.HSI) fell 4.2%." Fascinating how the Chinese authorities seem to be regulating the these companies with complete disregard on how the stock market might react.

> with complete disregard on how the stock market might react. I personally regard this as a positive fact, and I'm generally against the policies of the current Chinese authorities. The stock market should not be the be-all and end-all of our modern society.

Does it make sense to have strong principles and not be guided by financial incentives alone? Sure. But would it make more sense to have a solid regulatory framework to start with, as opposed to being loosey goosey for a very long time and then course correcting in a way that evaporates billions in value overnight from domestic and foreign investors?

Countries and companies have a lot in common. Consider this analogy: would you want to join a company that has an excellent business model and is poised for strong growth, but the CEO is a nut case and has done several mass layoffs that have completely blindsided internal and external people?

I, for one, am happy that China is tripping over itself and will give us a bit more room to breathe and figure out our own mess, so that when the inevitable takeover of Taiwan and all the other shit storms happen in the future, we'll be at least a tiny bit more prepared.

Re: WeChat suspends new user registration for security compliance

#76

Post by vmception »

radmuzom wrote: post #62
rwmj wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or to be more precise, it works for a few days, then abruptly locks you out until a friend with a China phone number and bank account vouches for you.

Not necessarily "China phone number". I live in Malaysia and WeChat is very popular here, even among Malays. One Malaysian friend vouched for my account.

Its different for every country combination and at different times depending on how Tencent/CCP feels

Re: WeChat suspends new user registration for security compliance

#77

Post by joyeuse6701 »

throwaway4good wrote: post #2

"Shares in Tencent plunged 9.0% in Hong Kong on Tuesday amid widespread market jitters over Chinese regulatory crackdowns on high-growth sectors, including online platforms and, most recently, private tutoring. Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index (.HSI) fell 4.2%." Fascinating how the Chinese authorities seem to be regulating the these companies with complete disregard on how the stock market might react.

We (the west) may see this as shocking, but I believe this isn't equivalent to the U.S. gov't doing something that would crash the NYSE or NASDAQ. If the Chinese gov't did something that undermined real estate value, where most Chinese citizen's savings are parked, that would be more comparable.

Re: WeChat suspends new user registration for security compliance

#78

Post by starfallg »

georgeecollins wrote: post #44
vehemenz wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is that the CCP has nothing to replace this cultural vacuum with. They want to legislate a return to "old" (post 1949) values by banning foreign tutors, suppressing dissent on WeChat and Weibo, and doing generally authoritarian shit to encourage nationalism. Meanwhile, young, educated people almost exclusively consume the cultural products of the West, Korea, and Japan. And they find the North Korean styl…

>> The problem is that the CCP has nothing to replace this cultural vacuum with. I am no expert, but I disagree and I think this is the kind of thinking that has failed the west for the last thirty years. I think the idea started with the fall of the Soviet Union. That culture and ideology was bankrupt. So a lot of western people thought that when there was a free exchange of ideas with China, the Chinese would event…

>My experience of people in China-- admittedly a long time ago-- was they are generally very patriotic or nationalistic, like Americans. They appreciate the CCP and what it has accomplished. They have a strong domestic arts industry making movies, books, games. Sure lots of people disagree with the party, but that doesn't that they want a western liberal democracy.

Having been on the inside, it's not that they don't want a different system, it's that they see the real or perceived problems of our system as highlighted by their domestic media and generally from their point of view. This makes them substantially less enthusiastic than we think they would be.

The only way to convince them is to show them that liberal democracy does indeed yield better results, with people feeling more secure and leading happier lives. In order to do that we need to ensure that our democratic processes lead to solidarity and not division. That's why the last 4 years have been so damaging to our system, the fabric of the system has been damaged by extreme partisanship, without considering that standing together with our neighbours is in many cases more important than being 'right'.

Re: WeChat suspends new user registration for security compliance

#79

Post by birdyrooster »

aerosmile wrote: post #75
paganel wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> with complete disregard on how the stock market might react. I personally regard this as a positive fact, and I'm generally against the policies of the current Chinese authorities. The stock market should not be the be-all and end-all of our modern society.

Does it make sense to have strong principles and not be guided by financial incentives alone? Sure. But would it make more sense to have a solid regulatory framework to start with, as opposed to being loosey goosey for a very long time and then course correcting in a way that evaporates billions in value overnight from domestic and foreign investors? Countries and companies have a lot in common. Consider this analogy…

All we can do now is hope the Taiwanese don't ratify their constitution to get rid of their claims to mainland China. If they can manage to stay the course, the US will remain unentangled with Taiwan's fate.

Re: WeChat suspends new user registration for security compliance

#80

Post by [deleted] »

tablespoon wrote: post #73
georgeecollins wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> The problem is that the CCP has nothing to replace this cultural vacuum with. I am no expert, but I disagree and I think this is the kind of thinking that has failed the west for the last thirty years. I think the idea started with the fall of the Soviet Union. That culture and ideology was bankrupt. So a lot of western people thought that when there was a free exchange of ideas with China, the Chinese would event…

I think you're broadly correct. With regard to China, a lot of people's understanding is driven in large part by wishful thinking, which is a serious weakness and vulnerability. > Sure lots of people disagree with the party, but that doesn't that they want a western liberal democracy. So lots of people will speak in favor of a benevolent elite and against populism or what they see as western chaos or oppression. When…

[deleted]
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