WeChat Reaches 1 Billion Monthly Users

By Matthew Bossons

They’ve done it – they’ve finally done it! WeChat, Tencent’s chatting app and social media megaplayer, has reached one billion monthly users for the first time in its six-and-a-bit-year history, according to Tencent CEO Pony Ma.  

Ma, whose Chinese name is Ma Huateng, made the announcement yesterday at a meeting of ‘the Two Sessions’ in Beijing. 

Known domestically amongst Chinese speakers as Weixin, WeChat came abreast of the billion user milestone over Chinese New Year, according to BBC, possibly due to the 688 million platform users that were sending and receiving digital hongbao over the holiday.

Dominant in mainland China, WeChat has experienced slower growth overseas and trails Facebook-owned WhatsApp by about half a billion users. According to BBC, the app has made some progress in the South African and Southeast Asian markets. 

During his presentation at the Two Sessions, Ma, who is a deputy to the National People’s Congress, also took time to discuss his thoughts on the role of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in helping promote the Belt and Road Initiative. He also took questions related to the nation’s reform drive and achievements in poverty reduction.

[Images via Reuters h/t BBC, southcn.com h/t GRT Radio]

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