Sina Tech news, November 4 morning report. Douyin Group Vice President Li Liang posted a statement saying, "When I said Qin Shuo is either malicious or foolish, I genuinely meant it."
Li Liang pointed out, "I had intended to let my debate with Qin Shuo end there, but after seeing the criticism from famous influencer Hu Xijin, with Weibo even pushing it to trending topics, and WeChat flooding with precisely targeted articles attacking me, I felt it was still necessary to clarify."
Li Liang said that calling him malicious is because his characterization of "Bytedance Time" is extremely sinister. As a decades-long industry observer, he certainly knows that using a Nomura report from Japan to define the situation of China's internet would inevitably produce conclusions that are "not rigorous" and "not comprehensive," yet why is he unwilling to correct it?
Eight years ago, WeChat relied on its monopoly position to prohibit Douyin from sharing, and the litigation between the two sides remains unresolved to this day. Qin Shuo's "Bytedance Time" undoubtedly frees TENCENT (00700) from the "monopoly" it has struggled with for decades, and pins Bytedance into a narrative of "potential monopoly," shifting the offense-defense dynamic. I think if this positioning becomes consensus, Qin Shuo will become the greatest "benefactor" in TENCENT (00700)'s history!
Li Liang also said that calling him foolish is because his current role is more like a businessman, with multiple companies under his name that undertake paid publishing and endorsement services for enterprises. His articles and appearances are clearly priced at very high fees. Everyone in the industry knows this, and evidence is not hard to find. Just days before this, he had unabashedly published articles endorsing TENCENT (00700), which I consider unwise and foolish.
"In summary, harsh words, not really. I genuinely feel this is his situation. Perhaps I should have only thought it in my heart and not said it out loud," Li Liang said.
Recently, due to the argument over "whether 'Bytedance Time' truly exists in China's internet," Qin Shuo, founder of Qin Shuo's Friends Circle, and Li Liang became embroiled in a "war of words." The two have repeatedly "called out" each other across the airwaves. Qin Shuo's viewpoint states that Bytedance apps have already captured over 40% of total mobile internet user time in China, and "Bytedance Time" is a summary of this significant trend, but high time share does not equal high social value, and Bytedance should make "Bytedance Time" more socially meaningful. Li Liang's viewpoint holds that Qin Shuo only cited tracking estimate data from Top 50 mobile apps, the methodology is flawed and the share does not reach one-half, the characterization of "Bytedance Time" is not rigorous and "is purely nonsense." Short videos and short dramas are fully competitive industries, and no company can become "China's internet's xx Time."
Subsequently, Qin Shuo issued a statement saying that regarding recent remarks infringing on his reputation published by "Douyin Group's Li Liang," he has commissioned a lawyer to file a lawsuit with the People's Court, taking legal measures in accordance with the law to protect his legitimate rights and interests and pursue the legal liability of the infringing party. Li Liang responded that he will actively defend himself in court.
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