In a bar in Beijing or an underground rail carriage on the Shanghai Metro, the sight of WeChat, the addictive chat app developed by Tencent Holdings, is ubiquitous. But when you spy it over the shoulder of your neighbour on the Metro, chances are they are messaging colleagues rather than friends.
At almost every Chinese workplace, WeChat has become the primary means of communication. Conversations through WeChat group messages have replaced email, files can be shared in the app, and group voice calls can replace meetings.
But there are some big drawbacks: WeChat messages do not have the legal status of a written email, message history can be hard to access and the security of corporate information can be a concern.