Walled Gardens Work Both Ways

Interesting New York Times article on challenges Chinese eCommerce and digital brands face as they try to push into markets outside of China.

So far, successes (and failures) seem to suggest that China digital firms face a choice: either focus on the domestic market or rest of the world opportunities.

Especially true when it comes to the much-hyped messaging platforms like WeChat.

The difficulties that China’s internet companies face in expanding their success abroad are epitomized by WeChat, the messaging app owned by Tencent. In China, WeChat combines e-commerce and real-world services in ways that have Western companies playing catch-up. It has about 700 million users, most of whom are Chinese or use it to connect with people in China.