Publicity stunt by new ride-hailing app backfires
Strong Nation Transport app bumping porcelain scam
Welcome to RealTime Mandarin!
It’s a free weekly resource helping you learn contemporary Chinese in context, maintain and improve your Mandarin skills, and stay on top of the latest language trends in China.
Subscribe now to get the next newsletter in your inbox on Saturday.
Publicity stunt by new ride-hailing app backfires
Last week the Beijing Daily reported on a new ride-hailing app, Strong Nation Transport (强国交通 qiángguó jiāotōng), an apparent competitor to Didi.
According to the report, the new app had completed ‘internal testing’ (内测), would be China’s first state-backed ride-hailing app, and address concerns about data security:
Due to disorderly expansion and data security issues with the ride-hailing sector, "Strong Nation Transport" will adhere to the principle of digital security for public good. Its functions will maximise the protection of user data security and personal privacy.
基于网约车行业一度存在的无序扩张和数据安全问题，“强国交通”将秉承数字惠民和安全可控的原则，将陆续上线多项功能，最大程度保护用户数据安全与个人隐私 [2]
Concerns over customer data is what led to Didi’s licence to sign up new users being revoked for 18 months.
The Strong Nation Transport app appeared to have government support: Backed by the Ministry of Transport, and the similarly-named Strong Nation Learning App (学习强国 xuéxí qiángguó).
Despite that apparent support, the Beijing Daily article was removed soon after it was published.
Reports in other Chinese media outlets said the Ministry of Transport had rejected there was any official backing for the app, claiming it was a scam.
Is this an illegal company trying to piggyback on an official-sounding name to make money for itself? The Ministry of Transport states it has no links with the app.
野鸡公司碰瓷？交通部称强国交通 App 与交通运输部无关 [4]
Media investigations found the company behind the new app and one of its founders had a background in Chinese media:
This company is controlled by Beijing Guangxin Times Technology Partnership, and the shareholders are Jiang Ping and Tong Guanglai. Tong Guanglai is also well-known for his experience in the media. He used to be a reporter for China Times, and later went into business as a marketing director.
这家公司，由北京光信时代科技合伙企业（下称“光信时代”）控股，而光信时代的股东为，蒋萍与童光来。而童光来另一个广为人知的身份，是一位资深媒体人。他曾经是华夏时报的记者，后来转型到企业当了市场负责人 [1]
So it looks like the whole thing was a publicity stunt by a couple of ballsy media entrepreneurs.
Or was it…?
Experts quoted in the non-Mainland Chinese language press reckoned there must have been some level of support from government:
“My impression is that the central government, the Central Propaganda Department, and the State Council Information Office are all trying to build momentum for the "Strong Nation Transport" app and give the green light as much as possible. This supports my argument: the "Strong Nation Transport" app is indeed part of the policy of the Chinese government. It's not just an experimental product. The invisible hand of government policy is telling the market and the world that there is more to the origins of the app than meets the eye.”
给我的印象是，中国的中央政府也好，中宣部也好，国务院新闻办也好，都在给‘强国交通’这块APP造势助威，尽可能的开绿灯。这恰恰能够佐证我的判断：这款‘强国交通’APP确实是中国政府的政策行为。它不光是任由自生自灭的实验品，而是以政策无形的手向市场以及国内外宣告，这款APP的来历绝对不简单。[3]
So that’s what we explore this week: The language of deception, rumour, and fakes.
What you’re missing in the member’s podcast
Today’s member podcast episode is 31 minutes in total, with 25 minutes of excellent native content from our editor, Zoe Qian:
Discussion about top phrases: 5 min 40 secs - This week we go on a deep-dive into different ways to say deception.
Word list and example sentences: 13 mins 33 secs - Zoe reviews all words and phrases here including example sentences.
Full article in Chinese: 20 mins 11 secs - Full audio of the main article we refer to this week.
Sign up and access it now!
Favourite Five
1. 野鸡 yějī
wild chicken; con artists
机关和下属技术支持单位全部不知情，这就是个碰瓷的野鸡公司 - None of the subsidiaries knew anything about it. It was clearly a con by an illegal company. [4]
More: 野 means wild, or unregulated. So 野鸡 is not a pheasant but a wild chicken (as opposed to chicken in a farm).
2. 碰瓷 pèng cí
touching porcelain; a piggybacking scam
APP界面直接打上了“交通运输部”标识一事，该交通运输系统人士称，有碰瓷嫌疑 - The app interface had the logo of the "Ministry of Transport". Someone in the ministry said they believed it was a scam. [1]
Note: We go deeper in The China Project’s Phrase of the Week.
3. 国字头 guó zì tóu
state-run or state-affiliated giant
舆论普遍认为，能够注册“国字头”招牌并得到官媒报道，不是简单的“野鸡公司碰瓷“能够解释的 - It is widely believed that this can't be explained by saying it was just a scam, since the company managed to register a name that sounds ‘state-affiliated’ and get support from the state media. [2]
More: 国家队 guójiā duì - National team. Anther informal term for SOE.
4. 牵强附会 qiān qiǎng fù huì
far-fetched
“强国交通”牵强附会 - Is the Strong Nation Transport App trying to scam the public with its official-sounding name? [2]
Note: 强 is a play on words here which Zoe explores in the podcast.
5. 井水不犯河水 jǐng shuǐ bú fàn hé shuǐ
river water does not mix with well water; totally unrelated
中国中央政府的部委对外声称与”强国交通”等个人企业行为河水不犯井水 - Central government ministries and commissions claim that they have absolutely no connection with private businesses like the Strong Nation Transport App. [3]
Consuming the Conversation
Useful words
赫然 hè rán
impressively; shockingly
强国交通”logo的下方，赫然是“学习强国”和交通运输部的标志- The Strong Nation Transport logo shockingly has the logos of the Strong Nation Learning App and Ministry of Transport beneath it. [1]
打脸 dǎ liǎn
slap in the face
今天就遭到了交通部和学习强国的双重“打脸” - Today the Strong Nation Transport app was doubly slapped down by the Strong Nation Learning App and the Ministry of Transport. [1]
打着……的旗号 dǎ zhe……de qí hào
to do something under the pretence of something else
还妄想打着官方的旗号行事，怕不是想给自己的网约车生意打免费广告 - They even wanted to pretend they are affiliated with the state, but isn’t this just a way to get free advertising for your ride-hailing app? [1]
算盘 suàn pán
abacus; calculation
微博词条已被删除，他的算盘也彻底落空了 - Weibo hashtag of Strong Nation Transport has been deleted. His plot has failed. [1]
辟谣 pì yáo
dispel rumours
相继辟谣，与“强国交通”撇清关系 - They moved to dispel the rumours, distancing themselves from the Strong Nation Transport App. [2]
约谈 yuē tán
be invited for a talk with government (and be instructed what to do, often without actually being told directly)
官方对网约车平台的监管一直没有放松，期间也曾多次约谈相关平台企业 - Government supervision of ride-hailing platforms has not relaxed. During this period, ride-hailing companies have been invited to talk many times. [2]
Related: 被请喝茶 bèi qǐng hē chá - ‘Invited to tea’
官商 guān shāng
government and business
让拥有深厚官商人脉背景、资源充足的这些人，由他们个人去运作这个事情 - Let people with deep government and business connections, and sufficient resources, run this business. [3]
Three-character phrases
一杯羹 yì bēi gēng
a share of profits
面对如此庞大的市场，不想入市分一杯羹者几希 - There are very few companies that don’t want to enter this huge market and take a share of profits. [2]
Related: 几希 jǐ xī - Meaning ‘very few’ in classical Chinese (from Mencius).
蹭流量 cèng liú liàng
capitalise on social media to drive web traffic
正如网友的吐槽，强国交通是蹭学习强国的流量 - As many netizens have complained, Strong Nation Transport is trying to leverage the web traffic of the Strong Nation Learning App. [1]
成气候 chéng qì hòu
to get somewhere; to be doing well
仅依靠国家政策的产品，如果给不了用户想要的创新和体验，自然也难以成气候 - Products that only rely on favourable national policies will naturally find it hard to succeed, if they cannot give users the innovation and experience they want. [2]
Note: Usually in the negative, like 不成气候, also here 难以成气候
Idioms
有模有样 yǒu mú yǒu yàng
look real
总之，整得有模有样的，不少人都信了 - All in all, the app looks quite real. Many people believed it’s official. [1]
沸沸扬扬 fèi fèi yáng yáng
an uproar
媒体和网络平台传得沸沸扬扬，但交通运输部机关和下属技术支持单位都对“强国交通APP”全然不知情 - The news spread fast in the media and online platforms, but the Ministry of Transport and its subsidiaries said they were completely unaware of the Strong Nation Transport App. [1]
国进民退 guó jìn mín tuì
advance of the state sector over the private sector
还没等大家充分消化这个似乎代表着网约车市场或也将“国进民退”的新闻，被点名的两个官方平台就相继辟谣 - Before everyone could digest this news which seemed to signal the ride-hailing market may be moving towards a state-run model, the two departments mentioned in the reports rejected the claims as rumours. [2]
Related: 官进民退 guān jìn mín tuì - similar meaning.
扑朔迷离 pū shuò mí lí
mysterious
原始报道和转载也遭到了删除，令这个全新平台的身份愈发扑朔迷离 - The original report and reposted articles were removed, which made the identity of this new platform even more mysterious. [2]
顺藤摸瓜 shùn téng mō guā
follow the clues
顺藤摸瓜找到了疑似“强国交通”真正的开发公司 - After a lot of research, the company that actually developed the app was discovered. [2]
握手言欢 wò shǒu yán huān
put aside the differences and greet somebody with affection again
这次握手言欢一定是企业服从于政府的结果 - This big announcement of Didi must have been the result of businesses obeying the government. [3]
Related: 握手言和 wò shǒu yán hé - shake hands, speak harmonious words
一潭死水 yì tán sǐ shuǐ
stagnant
现在滴滴出行已变成类国企或者一潭死水 - Didi has already become like a bureaucratic state-owned company. [3]
Phrases
蒙上阴影 méng shàng yīnyǐng
to cast shadow or bring into doubt
恐怕将为他们未来能否继续以科技创新和市场经济、而非政策推动发展，蒙上又一层不确定的阴影 - I am afraid that it will cast another shadow of uncertainty on whether they can continue to promote development through technological innovation and the market economy rather than policies in the future. [2]
未见其人，先闻其声 wèi jiàn qí rén, xiān wén qí shēng
not seen the person but heard about them
另一款“未见其物，先闻其名”的“国字头”出行软件却引发了更多讨论 - Another as yet unknown apparently ‘state-backed’ ride-hailing app has caused a stir and lots of discussion on social media. [2]
此地无银三百两 cǐ dì wú yín sān bǎi liǎng
No 300 taels of silver buried here; a dishonest person gives themselves away by protesting their innocence
但从“学习强国”APP专门提及名不见经传的“强国交通”上线，却又显得此地无银三百两 - But the Strong Nation Learning App clearly mentioned that the little-known Strong Nation Transport App had gone live online, so it made the whole thing look more suspicious. [3]
Note: Similar in meaning as the English idiom, ‘No smoke without fire’.
Become a member of RealTime Mandarin+
The RealTime Mandarin+ membership is a multimedia resource helping you learn contemporary Chinese in context
If you enjoyed reading the free newsletter, you’ll LOVE our paid membership: RealTime Mandarin+.
Joining Real-Time-Mandarin+, you’ll unlock loads of extra resources to help you dramatically improve your Chinese language skills.
Every week you get access to new content:
🔈Podcast - 30 min podcast every Saturday with 80% native Mandarin (including transcript)
📚 Resources and integrations - Pleco, Skritter, Hack Chinese, mylingua (new!), and PDF printouts
👩🎓 Intermediate newsfeed - One ‘real’ Chinese language news podcast and article published every Sunday, in a lesson format, pitched at an intermediate level
💬 Community - Slack community, Substack Chat, online meet-ups, in-person gatherings
🤿 Quarterly Deep Dives - One hour webinars focussing on one key challenge of intermediate learners delivered around the end of every quarter.
When you join, you’ll also have an optional 1-1 onboarding and coaching call to help orientate you.
It’s the best way to get motivated, inspired, and kick-start your Mandarin learning habit.
You can access all of these resources for less than the cost of one pint per week in a London pub.
It’s a no brainer (and much better for you)!
So, if you’ve been on the fence for a while, now is the time to confront it, invest in yourself, and commit!
Happy learning!
Andrew