Headlines from China: China’s Largest Online Retailer Seeks Esports Players with Enticing Offers

China’s Largest Online Retailer Seeks Esports Players with Enticing Offers

On April 1, the Chinese government officially recognizes thirteen new professions, which include esports operators and esports players. On the same day, Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com’s esports club JDG posted job opportunities to seek highly skilled esports players. In the job post, the annual salary for a core team member ranges from RMB 0.5 million to RMB 10 million. The annual salary for a junior player is between RMB 80,000 and RMB 200,000. While the offers are attractive, it might still be challenging for JDG to recruit the right people. According to an industry veteran, there are less than 200 qualified players across the entire country and most of them have been signed by other clubs. Read more on National Business Daily

Will Douyin Become the Next E-commerce Giant?

After WeChat’s micro store business Weishang (微商) challenged Alibaba’s Taobao for e-commerce domination, the Chinese e-commerce market is seeing the expansion of Doushang (抖商) group, which refers to retailers on short-video platforms Douyin. According to an unnamed WeChat media account, there are over 3,000 active retailers on Douyin. Since last year, Douyin has been gradually adding e-commerce functions to its platform. Today, a merchant can easily set up a shop on Douyin and use the platform’s various e-commerce features by paying a fee. While the massive traffic makes Douyin an irresistible platform for retailers, it remains a challenge for traditional retailers to figure out how to succeed in content-driven e-commerce. Read more on entgroup.cn

What You Need to Know about the Opening Film of this Year’s BJIFF 

The China-Kazakhstan co-produced film The Composer has been set to open the 9th Beijing International Film Festival. The film tells the story of famous Chinese composer Xian Xinghai who was stranded in Kazakhstan during the German-Soviet War. Thanks to the help of Kazakh composer Bakhitzhan Baykadamov, Xian was able to continue his work and composed some of his most famous pieces including Yellow River Cantata. Starring Chinese actors Jun Hu and Quan Yuan, and Kazakh actor Berik Aytzhanov, The Composer is the first film co-produced by China and Kazakhstan under a cooperation treaty between the two countries facilitated by China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The film will screen on April 15 in Beijing with cast and crew members in attendance. Read more on National Business Daily