Like Netflix, China’s Tencent Video Cracks Down on Password Sharing

Are you frustrated that Netflix is clamping down on password sharing? Audiences in China are currently experiencing the same exasperation with the Chinese streaming platform Tencent Video.


On February 13, a netizen identifying herself as Wei logged onto the popular Chinese streaming platform and realized that her account had been frozen for exceeding the device limit. A pop-up notice informed her that her account would automatically be unlocked after 30 minutes and suggested upgrading her package to one with a higher device limit if she wanted to access her account immediately.


tencent video, netflix, password sharing

A screengrab of the pop-up notice Tencent Video users receive after reaching the platform’s device limit. Image via Weibo


She contacted Tencent’s customer service and was informed that the five-device cap was clearly stated in the platform’s terms and conditions. To unfreeze her account, she would have to unlink a few devices or, as the notice suggested, sign up for a higher subscription level.


According to the customer service agent, Tencent users who fail to keep their number of logged-on devices below the limit for a second time will be blocked for 24 hours. On the third offense, the penalty will increase to seven days. Furthermore, the company stated that it had the right to revoke membership for anyone who had broken their contract more than three times.


A Tencent Video subscriber for five years, Wei had never been penalized for logging into multiple devices previously.


She took to Weibo, China’s top microblogging site, to share her experience, which has become a trending topic; related hashtags have amassed more than 330 million views at the time of writing. Many netizens have called Tencent’s behavior shameless and unnecessary.


“They could have automatically logged me out of one of the devices or notified me to unlink some. Freezing our accounts will only drive users away,” commented one Weibo user.


Some have also questioned the legitimacy of account freezing, claiming they were never informed about the policy.


Apparently, Tencent had sent out a service agreement update on January 12, 2023. The notice mentions that SVIP members — subscribers of the company’s highest subscription level — were allowed up to eight devices. However, when a reporter from the state-run newspaper Changjiang Daily asked when the five-device limit clause was added, customer service failed to provide a direct answer.


Based on snapshots of Tencent’s service agreement page captured by the digital archive platform Wayback Machine, RADII discovered that the five-device limit could be found in an agreement dating back to 2018, which also states that Tencent reserves the right to suspend or terminate service for users who violate device limits. However, this is the first time that Tencent has reportedly taken action by freezing user accounts.


Regardless of when the device limit was implemented, many netizens are still annoyed that streaming services are raising subscription prices annually, implementing new restrictions on password sharing or device limits, and encouraging customers to upgrade their subscription level.


Another streaming giant in China, iQiyi, also landed in hot water when it limited user access earlier this month. A customer in South China’s Guangdong province sued the platform for limiting video resolution to 480p for basic-level subscribers if they want to project content on TV. To enjoy programs with higher image quality, users have no choice but to upgrade their packages by forking out more.


“First iQiyi, now Tencent. Who’s next? As your core customers, we are not the reason you have trouble generating revenue. You guys would be better off if you just stopped releasing garbage content instead of limiting our access,” complained a Weibo user.


In recent years, U.S.-based streaming platforms, including Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney+, have also struggled with stagnant revenue and subscription growth.


And Chinese companies like Tencent and iQiyi are not alone in coming up with ways to generate revenue: The once ad-free streaming giant Netflix launched a new basic package with ads last November and announced its plan to crack down on password sharing earlier this month — a total reversal of its memorable ‘Love is sharing a password’ marketing strategy back in 2017.


Netflix’s anti-password-sharing plan has already been rolled out in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain.


Cover image via Depositphotos

Authorities Investigating President of Chinese Soccer’s Top Governing Body

On February 14, Chinese authorities announced that Chen Xuyuan, the current president of the troubled Chinese Football Association (CFA), is under investigation for “serious violations of discipline and the law.” He is the fourth top soccer figure to be placed under investigation since last November.


chen xuyuan president of chinese soccer association

Chen Xuyuan, president of the Chinese Football Association


The investigation is being conducted by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country’s top anti-corruption watchdog, along with the Hubei Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection.


Although the General Administration of Sports did not disclose the allegations against Chen, YCWB.com theorized that he is under investigation over suspicions of corruption and that the Hubei provincial commission is involved because the alleged crimes were committed or first discovered in the province.


There has been no official word on whether Chen has been arrested, but he reportedly missed a national soccer team selection meeting held on February 13 and 14.

An “Unconventional” CFA President

In 2019, Chen was unanimously elected to become CFA president, becoming the first-ever person from outside the sports management field to hold the position.


He began his career as a dock worker in Shanghai at the age of 17, eventually working his way up to president of Shanghai International Port Group over the course of 46 years before leaving for the CFA.


According to a Chinese media outlet, “The ‘unconventional’ president Chen Xuyuan once carried high expectations… Many people hoped he could better steer the ship of Chinese soccer, which has lost its way, and bring it somewhere different.”


Chen’s speeches reflected the purported changes he planned to instate. Shortly before being elected, he said in a speech, “Soccer is a noble game. Don’t let money tarnish and distort it.”

Four High-Level Investigations

li tie, liu yi, chen yongliang, and chen yuxuan

From left to right: Li Tie, Liu Yi, Chen Yongliang, and Chen Yuxuan


Authorities have linked Chen’s investigation to former Team China head coach Li Tie, who was arrested last November.


The CFA’s executive deputy secretary-general Chen Yongliang and former secretary-general Liu Yi were also placed under investigation in January for the same suspected crimes.


The fact that Chen is also being investigated for corruption has led netizens — and government publication People’s Daily — to compare the saga to The Knockout (狂飙), a popular crime-fighting show that recently finished airing.


a the knockout drama style poster about soccer corruption

A poster in the style of The Knockout depicting the four accused officials


Interestingly, last Thursday, Chen Xuyuan himself spoke out against corruption at the CFA. He said, “I have always believed that fighting corruption in soccer is a good thing… [Some people] have ignored the interests of the CFA for the sake of their own personal interests. If every comrade in our association were honest and clean, we would not be having this meeting today.”

A Long History of Corruption

The CFA has long been plagued by corruption. From 2009 to 2013, when China conducted its large-scale anti-corruption campaign in the nation’s soccer system, more than 50 officials and players were arrested for betting, fixing matches, and bribery.


And despite lavish funding, the sport has suffered from a lack of venues and facilities in the country, primarily due to mismanagement.


The CFA’s problems also trickle down to the Chinese Super League (CSL), the top tier of professional soccer in China. Since the CSL was set up in 2004, viewership of games has fluctuated sporadically whenever new bribery and match-fixing scandals come to light.


The chronic underperformance of China’s men’s national team is evidence of the deep rot of the CFA. China has only made it to the World Cup once in the tournament’s history, in 2002, and the men’s team is currently ranked 79th worldwide.


All images via Weibo

The Daring Methods & Rising Status of Beijing’s Avant-garde Musicians

Think ‘avant-garde music’ is all about bizarre instruments and extreme playing methods? Then you’re right, at least with regard to Zhu Wenbo. On Four Lines and Improvisation, Zhu’s latest album, the veteran Beijing underground musician used “a speaker as a microphone, and it picked up some sounds of my mustache touching the speaker,” laughs the musician during a conversation with RADII.


The artist recently released the album via Aloe Records, a Chinese publishing label newly launched by music guru Sun Yizhou, which also recently dropped it works, an album by another esteemed Beijing avant-garde artist, Yan Jun.


While not all left-field musicians like Zhu produce ‘mustache music,’ many other Beijing musicians strive to break new boundaries in the studio and on the stage. And even if the most devout music buffs become baffled by the lengths to which experimental and improvisational artists go, some of the biggest names in China’s capital insist that daring approaches are invaluable.


Their vastly different methods and sounds need not divide avant-garde and mainstream musicians — instead, both parties should inspire one another, and meet each other halfway, to the benefit of each side, says Michael Pettis, a widely-known Beijing music guru.


After founding D-22 (nicknamed the Chinese CBGB) and later XP (a venue entirely dedicated to experimental music), Pettis recently said the following to The Diplomat: “There was an experimental component to what everyone was doing,” in reference to the fringe-y side projects launched by many mass-appeal bands under Maybe Mars, a music label he co-founded. This, says Pettis, is what “made Beijing a uniquely intellectual scene.”


Chinese music, Experimental Music, Chinese avant-garde musicians

Zhu Wenbo. Image courtesy of Zhu Wenbo


One of the esteemed pioneers from the 2010s avant-garde wave that Pettis is referring to, Zhu has been praised by everyone from Pettis (“Zhu Wenbo and Yan Jun are not just well-known musicians, but have also been key to the development of experimental music in China”) to The Wire, a renowned international music magazine that has also given Yan his props.


Zhu earned his stripes by running the Zoomin’ Night label, an offshoot of the D-22 weekly experimental showcase of the same name that led to the launch of XP. This golden period is gone now, in Pettis’ opinion. However, he’s encouraged by the fact that Sun is backing Zhu and Yan with Aloe.


“[It’s also] very important that musicians find ways of spreading their ideas and collaborations, and this is usually done through live performances and recordings,” he muses.


Sun concurs, saying, “Many friends say that every improv musician in China has one rock band, if not more! It really seems like that’s the case […] it’s the rock music tradition of the Chinese underground since the ’90s.”


Yan Jun Beijing Musician

Yan Jun. Image courtesy of Antoine Prum


Much has changed since then, especially in 2022. Covid-19 caused gig cancellations, neighborhood closures, travel restrictions, and civil disobedience, but it also prompted Sun to found Aloe Records.


“For some, it was hard enough to survive,” says Sun. “My instinctive reaction was to look outwards from myself to find some connection. I made many recordings at home, some of my own and some in collaboration with others. In the process, I slowly wanted to reduce ‘myself’ and make some releases for others. Thus, Aloe Records was born.”


As if becoming a label head wasn’t enough, Sun also dropped an artsy new release of his own called Ruin (毁了) on British label Brachliegen Tapes. Replete with electrifying noise emitted by discarded instruments, equipment, and wiring, the album brings new meaning to the phrase “on the fritz.”


Zhu, Yan, and Sun’s releases were an artsy trifecta of sorts that topped Live China Music’s (LCM) new music column in late December 2022. Because the platform is widely considered the country’s underground music bible, praise from LCM certainly holds sway. Its social media post implored its dedicated readers to check out Yan’s it works for its minimalism, live improv, and performance recording takes penned by composer Ryoko Akama.


LCM also applauded Zhu’s Four Lines and Improvisation (side A sees a composition piece while side B offers an improvisation) for its combination of clarinet, “high-frequency sine wave electronics,” and more. A self-trained clarinet player (Zhu thought an acoustic instrument would suit his budding interest in improv in 2013), the musician plays the reed instrument on the album.


Chinese music, live music in Beijing, Chinese avant-garde musicians

Image courtesy of Fruityspace


Although these three fresh releases have caught the attention of music enthusiasts hungry for new sounds from Beijing, several local venues have been fanning the embers of the avant-garde scene long after the demise of D-22 and XP.


The founder of UFO Space, a relatively new dive in the capital’s Eastside, was quoted in the same Diplomat article and shares Pettis’ enthusiasm for boundary-pushing music. Last spring, the venue hosted a buzzy experimental gig by Zhang Shouwang, famed for fronting the far more mainstream indie band Carsick Cars.


Even the owner of Dusk Dawn Club — which is outfitted with a massive and elaborately-lit stage and accommodates throngs of people — once welcomed a clarinet player during an otherwise conventional indie rock set.


But Beijing’s true fringe-mantle-bearer, according to seasoned gig-goers, is Fruityspace. The quirky nook nestled deep within Beijing’s hutongs is owned by Zhai Ruixin. He is proud to present a wide array of envelope pushers since launching the basement venue in 2016 and hopes “to see more different expressions [of music]. Even if some performances are not very well developed, they may lead to big things.”


While it is sometimes a gamble to put on experimental performances, which don’t “always lead to good memories, I will watch them with a smile,” says Zhai.


Live music in Beijing at FruitySpace

Image courtesy of Fruityspace


At this point, we have established that fringe music excites diehard music fans seeking out new sounds and inspires even mainstream musicians to take more chances while expanding their fans’ palates. According to Yan, however, making such music is equally beneficial to strictly experimental musicians like him. And despite what some skeptics might assume, such tracks also need not alienate casual listeners — on the contrary, his ethos is the exact opposite.


For some of his recordings, he has turned everyday items like battery-powered electric fans into instruments by holding them near microphones and creating the elusive — and yes, strange — sounds he sought.


“I’m not a trained player,” admits the artist, who prefers using simple equipment to create unique sounds to connect with his listeners instead of relying on off-putting elaborate setups that make harsh walls of noise.


He describes his everyman approach to improv music: “Because my improvisation is not based [on a trained musician’s] system, I take my own ‘self’ as the system. So you hear me sitting there and feeling the environment. You hear me push the button and feel the passing of time, and make a decision about the point of changing […] I don’t know when will be a perfect time to push the button. There is no such thing. So improvisation is about observing myself facing audience, environment, and time.”


And what is it like to musically observe oneself? To that, Yan answers, “It’s the nerves, it’s challenging, it’s being happy and lost. And it’s fun.”


Cover image courtesy of Akira Saito

Chinese Province Cancels Track and Field Exam Because of Covid

This winter, China saw its most significant wave of Covid-19 cases following the country’s easing of strict pandemic restrictions. Cases of inflammatory cardiomyopathy, a viral inflammation of the heart that could result in death if untreated, have been reported nationwide by some of those who contracted Covid. The initial symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, and abnormal heartbeat.


Even though cases are sporadic, health professionals are still warning against hardcore exercise while recovering from Covid.


Therefore, many Chinese citizens have shared on social media about postponing their workout plans to allow their bodies to heal.


However, this is easier said than done for many Chinese middle school students.


This might come as a surprise to many living outside China, but physical education (PE) is a mandatory subject in their high school entrance exam or Zhongkao (中考), which literally means ‘Middle Exam.’


PE examinations vary from city to city, and students are scored on different skills. Students sometimes have the choice of being tested in sports like soccer, basketball, and volleyball or conditioning exercises like sit-ups.


However, one consistent testing area in most cities is track and field; female and male students must run 800 meters and 1,000 meters, respectively.


Some students spend their entire ninth-grade training and preparing for their PE exam. Even though it only makes up a small part of their entrance exam, many don’t want to lose points in China’s highly competitive education system. ‘Every point counts’ is the mindset most students and their parents share.


physical education in China, Covid-19, Covid-19 in China

Students running track as part of the PE segment of their high school entrance exam in Jiangsu province in 2019. Image via VCG


In light of the high number of Covid-19 cases in China, many concerned parents have complained about their unwell or recently recovered children being disadvantaged in the Zhongkao.


Fortunately, their voices have been heard by local education authorities in one Chinese province.


Multiple cities in Southwest China’s Guizhou province have announced that they will remove track and field from high school entrance PE exams. Furthermore, middle schools have also been advised to avoid high-intensity activities during regular fitness classes.


In fact, education departments throughout China have been evaluating the situation and made announcements about adjusting their PE curriculum to ensure the safety of students as the new spring semester starts.


Netizens have praised local authorities for prioritizing the well-being of young students, calling the adjustments the “right and humane move” on Weibo, China’s top microblogging platform. Many have also pointed out that the move should be replicated at the college level.


Cover image via VCG

Hong Kong, Shanghai Listed Among 20 Best Food Cities in the World

Which city has the best food in the world? Travel researchers Lyric and Asher Fergusson have an answer. In their new project, the Global Foodie Index, the two use objective metrics to answer this subjective question. Two Chinese cities feature in the top 20 — Hong Kong, at number eight, and Shanghai, at 17th.


Other cities in the Chinese mainland to make the ranking include Guangzhou in 34th place and Beijing in 46th.


The Global Foodie Index uses five numerical values to rank 150 cities: Average mid-range meal cost for two, types of national cuisine represented, the number of restaurants per capita, and the number of restaurants recognized by rankings like the Michelin Guide and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.


the top ten best cities for foodies in the world

The top 10 cities on the Global Foodie Index. Image via asherfergusson.com


Asher tells RADII that the 150 cities were chosen based on the available data. He elaborates, “Beyond that, I felt it was important to capture parts of the world that are often under-represented in foodie lists, like Africa, the Middle East, and South America.”


Asher, who hails from Sydney, Australia, and his wife Lyric, who grew up in Los Angeles, first began blogging about their travels in 2009 and have since compiled research for multiple rankings, including an LGBTQ+ Danger Index and a Raising a Family Index.

Like their other rankings, the Global Foodie Index was born of Asher’s love for statistics. He tells RADII, “Everyone has a unique opinion and experience, but what can we extract from the data? What metrics can be included that capture a wonderful food experience? What do we value when picking our foodie destinations, and how can we capture that worldwide? That’s the value of creating a mixed methods research study — [it’s] more than the sum of its parts.”


Unlike the controversial 2022 TasteAtlas list of the world’s best cuisines (which ranked the USA above countries like China and France), the Global Foodie Index doesn’t rely on audience votes. This objectiveness helps lesser-known cuisines and cities, like Valletta in Malta, rise to the top (well, 16th, in Valletta’s case).

However, the Fergussons’ index does skew more towards Europe: Of the 63 countries included, 28 are European, though this can also be attributed to the constraints of available data.


The Fergussons explained in their methodology that “The Michelin Guide […] has a heavy bias towards Asian, European, and to a lesser extent, American restaurants. Much of the world is simply under-represented […], which is an obvious limitation of our foodie study. However, Michelin is such an industry standard that it would be negligent to omit it as a factor.”


Despite the limitations of the data, the Global Foodie Index is a useful and — at times — surprising overview of the world’s cuisines. Asher, for one, told RADII that he enjoyed seeing some commonly overlooked cities in higher positions on the ranking.


He wrote, “South Africa, for example, has a great food culture that rarely gets talked about, but both Cape Town and Durban made it onto the list. Indian food is a particular favorite of mine, so it was great to see three Indian cities in the top 50 rankings.”


On a personal note, Asher tells us that he and Lyric had “some of the best food of [their lives]” in Chennai, India, which ranks 24th on the index.


Explore the entire Global Foodie Index here.


Cover images via Depositphotos and Unsplash

Netflix Hit ‘Squid Game’ to Become Immersive Game at Sandbox VR

If you and your friends went head-to-head in a contest inspired by the South Korean survival drama series Squid Game, who would be the last one standing? You’ll soon be able to find out the answer, as virtual reality company Sandbox VR is teaming up with Netflix to create an immersive VR experience based on the hit TV series.


The title, set to be released in late 2023, will allow players to participate in nerve-wracking games inspired by episodes in the show.


And while no footage of Sandbox’s Squid Game VR experience has been released, gamers have reason to have high expectations — based on the elite quality of the company’s previous offerings.


When asked what gamers can expect from the new Squid Game VR experience, Sandbox VR founder and CEO Steven Zhao tells RADII, “We’re taking elements of the TV series for sure, but also building it so that it’s incredibly fun in our Sandbox VR platform.”


Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Game has become one of Netflix’s best-performing shows ever. But even though the network has green-lit a second season, fans won’t be able to watch the sequel until early 2024.


Meanwhile, businesses worldwide have come up with Squid Game-inspired products to capitalize on the show’s popularity, from huge statues of deadly robot dolls to guard costumes to dalgona candies.

squid game

A Squid Game-themed event at the Korean Cultural Center in Abu Dhabi in 2021. Image via VCG


Sandbox VR, which launched in Hong Kong in 2017, now boasts branches in more than 30 cities, including London, Shanghai, San Francisco, and Vancouver.


The company offers a diverse range of VR experiences to cater to adrenaline seekers of all stripes, from adventures in space to surviving a zombie apocalypse. Sandbox VR’s current roster of games is: Star Trek: Discovery, Deadwood Valley, Deadwood Mansion, Curse of Davy Jones, Amber Sky 2088, and UFL: Unbound Fighting League.


The company’s branch in Shanghai, which has a 4.9/5 rating on the Yelp-like Chinese platform Dianping, currently charges 268 RMB (about 40 USD) per person for a 45-minute gaming session.


And while some might deem it more economical to purchase a VR headset themselves, few home kits can compare to Sandbox VR’s motion-tracking technology. Furthermore, Sandbox VR’s sprawling centers, each covering more than 5,000 square feet, comfortably accommodate large groups of friends.


“Since Sandbox VR offers full-body multiplayer experiences, expect fans to use their whole body to play and win these intense games. They can either collaborate or sabotage one another,” says Zhao.


Last but not least, the VR company also provides its customers with souvenirs by way of photos and videos.


Cover image via VCG and Depositphotos