[jgbond]

The post fails to mention that WeChat is protected from competition against other major global apps. If Google, Facebook, et al, were allowed to operate freely in China, WeChat would get picked apart.

Yes, there are a lot of cool things about WeChat and certain features that it arguably does better than its foreign counterparts, but it is still a mess. It is slow, cluttered, bloated, and full of crimes against design. The lack of competitive pressure really shows.

I imagine that if and when some real competition shows up, WeChat will evolve into a full-blown mobile OS.

[LiweiZ]

Yes, quality alternatives and things exported from other cultures are very important here. Like I indicated in my comment MSN was the choice for groups more open to western cultures. Communication, sociality and tools used could be very culture sensitive.