sharing economy

sharing-economy

A Chinese Bike-Share App Is Now Doubling as a Matchmaker 

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

China’s competitive matchmaking market has a new entrant with hundreds of millions of existing users.

Li Xin

Inflation Hits China’s ‘Sharing Economy’ as Bills Come Due

Without VC money, Chinese bike rental survivors are seeking ways to make ends meet.

Delivery Drivers Can’t Figure Out Who Their Boss Is, Lawyers Say

Gig economy workers seeking compensation find themselves playing “guess who” with multiple companies.

Wu Peiyue

Ofo Wants Users to Invite Their Friends Into Its Debt Pit

Can you make a buck off owing millions of people money? A former Chinese bike-rental company is trying.

Didi Investigating Claim of Driver Running Over, Killing Passenger

The alleged incident in Fuzhou has once again raised safety concerns for the ride-hailing platform.

Chen Qi’an

After China’s Bike-Sharing Fad Flopped, Car-Sharing Is Next, Insider Says

A “high investment, low profit” business model isn’t tenable for car-sharing either, according to a source close to embattled firm GoFun.

Death of Female Passenger Renews Ride-Hailing Safety Discussion

A young woman hired a van to move house, then jumped from the vehicle after the driver took a different route to the destination.

Zhang Wanqing

Frustrated Ordos Taxi Drivers Haul Away Shared E-Bikes

Police have punished nine drivers for moving on-demand bikes to the outskirts of the city.

Kenrick Davis

‘Employee Sharing’ an Emerging Trend Amid COVID-19 Epidemic

Many online retailers are hiring temporary workers from less-booming businesses to meet increased demand in China’s e-commerce sector.

Cai Xuejiao

Want Your Ofo Deposit Back? It’s Going to Cost You

The embattled bike-sharing platform’s latest deposit refund strategy hinges upon users spending thousands of yuan on Chinese e-commerce platforms — and they’re not happy about it.

Xue Yujie

China’s Facebook of Plastic Surgery Opens WeWork for Operations

Doctors who connect with patients online can now book operating suites in a ‘shared clinic’ — complete with labs, medical equipment, and even auxiliary staff — for a range of cosmetic procedures.

Shared-Bike Companies Told To Stop Collecting User Deposits

Going into effect next month, the new rule comes amid media reports of the country’s car- and bike-sharing companies facing financial woes.

Hoi Ying Lo

Didi Warns Ride-Hailing ‘Unsustainable’ Amid Continued Losses

The startup that once beat Uber in China says that, on average, its commissions are lower than its expenses for customers’ rides.

Third Shared-Bike Company Raises Riding Rates in Beijing

A wave of price hikes in the Chinese capital suggests bike-sharing companies are moving toward more sustainable business models.

Liang Chenyu

Hundreds Queue for Refunds at Ofo’s Beijing Headquarters

Reports of users not getting their deposits returned in a timely manner have led to a bank run-like scene at the bike-sharing company’s office in the capital.

Ni Dandan

What Didi’s Blackout Exposed About the Ride-Hailing Industry

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

After the death of a passenger, Didi suspended night services. But some say that wasn’t enough to fix safety concerns.

Didi Faces Fresh Security Questions Following Murder

Authorities have given the ride-hailing giant a deadline for closing security loopholes.

How Hackers Take Abandoned Chinese Uber Accounts for a Wild Ride

Two years after leaving the Chinese market, the ride-sharing users are being haunted by phantom Uber accounts.

Mobike Suspends Executive Over Sexual Harassment Claims

Accusations against an employee at top Chinese bike-sharing company come amid #MeToo’s growing presence in the country.

Ofo’s Yellow Bike App Gets ‘Red’ News Feed

The company known for its small yellow bikes shows off its ‘red gene’ through a new feature that shares state media content.