Ngkaki/Getty Images China seems to be everywhere today. From making synthetic diamonds more durable than real ones to being the first country to experiment with network speeds 10 times faster than 5G, you’ve probably seen China dominating global news. Another area where Chinese companies dominate is in mobile phone applications. Whether on the Google Play Store for Android or the Apple App Store for iOS, users have access to millions of applications on their phone. Apps like Weibo, WeChat, and BiliBili are very popular in China, but there are many Chinese apps loved by users around the world. Among the eight most downloaded apps worldwide in 2025, three of them were backed by Chinese companies. This dominance was even greater before AI became popular, as in 2023, four of the five most downloaded apps in the United States were Chinese. These are apps that almost everyone has at least heard of, but may not know were originally Chinese. These include some of the most used online shopping platforms in the United States, popular video editing programs for phones, and, of course, a certain app that practically gave birth to short-form content. 1. TikTok miss.cabul/Shutterstock Although YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels also exist now, it was TikTok – which was originally called Douyin in China – that popularized the short-form content genre. With short-form content being as popular as it is today, it’s no surprise that TikTok is one of the most downloaded apps in the world. It’s no secret that TikTok is owned by China, with ByteDance being a popular name, especially due to recent privacy concerns raised by the US government. However, due to these concerns, the version of TikTok available to users in the United States is now owned by the United States, and the joint venture now in charge of the brand in the United States has been given mandates regarding user privacy and the algorithm behind the app’s feed. However, ByteDance still owns more shares of the American company TikTok than any other individual company, and TikTok in the United States was still directly owned by China until very recently. ByteDance also still owns the TikTok global brand, and Shou Zhi Chew – the CEO of TikTok who ran its business in America even before the new changes – is still a board member of TikTok’s US operations, simply working alongside more US-based entities. 2. CapCut daily_creativity/Shutterstock There are many video editing programs available to people of all skill levels. These include expensive programs with powerful features that only the most professional editors can use, as well as occasional apps that you can download to your phone for free. When it comes to editing videos on your Android or iOS device, one of the most popular free apps – although many of its features are locked behind a paywall – is CapCut. The app is often recommended for first-time users, so if you’ve ever tried to edit family videos or your gaming footage together on your phone, you’ve probably seen or heard of it. What many people don’t know is that the company behind CapCut is Chinese, with CapCut itself originally called JianYing in China. Moreover, it is the same company that is behind TikTok: ByteDance. That’s why TikTok is so heavily integrated with the CapCut app, allowing you to immediately post to TikTok, use your saved audio clips on the platform, and easily edit short-form TikTok videos. 3. Temeu Markus Mainka/Shutterstock There is no shortage of American e-commerce companies. It’s obvious that Amazon dominates everything from household goods to technology, but the list also includes Walmart, Target, eBay, and many other options. These should be enough to meet all the needs of the average user, making the online shopping sector quite a difficult market to enter. However, Temu has established himself as a worthy contender, despite not debuting until 2022. This is largely due to the company behind Temu – PDD Holdings, which was founded in China but recently moved its headquarters to Ireland – aggressively marketing cheap fares, free gifts and high-value referral programs. Temu’s slogan “shop like a millionaire” and its eye-catching ads are two other reasons why the app has suddenly exploded in popularity, especially among younger people. However, Temu is still nowhere near as popular as Amazon in the United States, and there are many concerns about the quality of the items you buy. Still, if you want to get better rates and items that you can’t find in Western markets, Temu is a great alternative. 4. AliExpress We’ve previously talked about Temu and how the Chinese online shopping app is quickly gaining popularity among American households. Despite being one of the most downloaded apps in the world, Temu is a relatively new app, and there has been a much larger force competing with Amazon and eBay for at least the last decade. This multinational company is called AliExpress and is part of the Alibaba Group, which dominates the Chinese (and to some extent, global) market in many ways. It owns Taobao and Tmall, China’s largest e-commerce stores, Alipay, one of China’s leading digital finance platforms, and Alibaba.com, which is among the world’s largest B2B marketplaces for wholesale purchases. AliExpress is Alibaba Group’s online store for international customers. While Alibaba.com is aimed at businesses intending to make large purchases and Taobao and Tmall are aimed at the Chinese market, AliExpress serves as a way for consumers around the world to get items cheaper than elsewhere by purchasing from Chinese manufacturers. 5. Shein PhotoGranary02/Shutterstock There are many ways for customers to shop online, and we’ve already covered several in this list. Whether it’s Temu, Amazon or AliExpress, they all do more or less the same thing. Shein is an online shopping platform focused on clothing that has become synonymous with the term “fast fashion”. Like many other popular online shopping platforms, it has its origins in China. This online fashion giant was originally called ZZKKO when it first appeared in China in 2008. It rebranded to the Shein we know today in 2015, and only really started to see true global traction from 2020 onwards, as a result of the pandemic. Unlike many other online retailers, Shein sells its own products, and while it won’t have a physical store until 2025, it competes with popular brands like H&M, Zara, and Forever 21. While the company may have been just a budget Amazon specifically for clothing at one point, it has since become one of the most popular fashion brands for the average consumer, even opening its first permanent physical retail store in Paris in 2025. Post navigation 4 Sound Settings You Should Change ASAP for a Better Experience 5 YouTube Features That Can Improve Your Smart TV Experience
Ngkaki/Getty Images China seems to be everywhere today. From making synthetic diamonds more durable than real ones to being the first country to experiment with network speeds 10 times faster than 5G, you’ve probably seen China dominating global news. Another area where Chinese companies dominate is in mobile phone applications. Whether on the Google Play Store for Android or the Apple App Store for iOS, users have access to millions of applications on their phone. Apps like Weibo, WeChat, and BiliBili are very popular in China, but there are many Chinese apps loved by users around the world. Among the eight most downloaded apps worldwide in 2025, three of them were backed by Chinese companies. This dominance was even greater before AI became popular, as in 2023, four of the five most downloaded apps in the United States were Chinese. These are apps that almost everyone has at least heard of, but may not know were originally Chinese. These include some of the most used online shopping platforms in the United States, popular video editing programs for phones, and, of course, a certain app that practically gave birth to short-form content. 1. TikTok miss.cabul/Shutterstock Although YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels also exist now, it was TikTok – which was originally called Douyin in China – that popularized the short-form content genre. With short-form content being as popular as it is today, it’s no surprise that TikTok is one of the most downloaded apps in the world. It’s no secret that TikTok is owned by China, with ByteDance being a popular name, especially due to recent privacy concerns raised by the US government. However, due to these concerns, the version of TikTok available to users in the United States is now owned by the United States, and the joint venture now in charge of the brand in the United States has been given mandates regarding user privacy and the algorithm behind the app’s feed. However, ByteDance still owns more shares of the American company TikTok than any other individual company, and TikTok in the United States was still directly owned by China until very recently. ByteDance also still owns the TikTok global brand, and Shou Zhi Chew – the CEO of TikTok who ran its business in America even before the new changes – is still a board member of TikTok’s US operations, simply working alongside more US-based entities. 2. CapCut daily_creativity/Shutterstock There are many video editing programs available to people of all skill levels. These include expensive programs with powerful features that only the most professional editors can use, as well as occasional apps that you can download to your phone for free. When it comes to editing videos on your Android or iOS device, one of the most popular free apps – although many of its features are locked behind a paywall – is CapCut. The app is often recommended for first-time users, so if you’ve ever tried to edit family videos or your gaming footage together on your phone, you’ve probably seen or heard of it. What many people don’t know is that the company behind CapCut is Chinese, with CapCut itself originally called JianYing in China. Moreover, it is the same company that is behind TikTok: ByteDance. That’s why TikTok is so heavily integrated with the CapCut app, allowing you to immediately post to TikTok, use your saved audio clips on the platform, and easily edit short-form TikTok videos. 3. Temeu Markus Mainka/Shutterstock There is no shortage of American e-commerce companies. It’s obvious that Amazon dominates everything from household goods to technology, but the list also includes Walmart, Target, eBay, and many other options. These should be enough to meet all the needs of the average user, making the online shopping sector quite a difficult market to enter. However, Temu has established himself as a worthy contender, despite not debuting until 2022. This is largely due to the company behind Temu – PDD Holdings, which was founded in China but recently moved its headquarters to Ireland – aggressively marketing cheap fares, free gifts and high-value referral programs. Temu’s slogan “shop like a millionaire” and its eye-catching ads are two other reasons why the app has suddenly exploded in popularity, especially among younger people. However, Temu is still nowhere near as popular as Amazon in the United States, and there are many concerns about the quality of the items you buy. Still, if you want to get better rates and items that you can’t find in Western markets, Temu is a great alternative. 4. AliExpress We’ve previously talked about Temu and how the Chinese online shopping app is quickly gaining popularity among American households. Despite being one of the most downloaded apps in the world, Temu is a relatively new app, and there has been a much larger force competing with Amazon and eBay for at least the last decade. This multinational company is called AliExpress and is part of the Alibaba Group, which dominates the Chinese (and to some extent, global) market in many ways. It owns Taobao and Tmall, China’s largest e-commerce stores, Alipay, one of China’s leading digital finance platforms, and Alibaba.com, which is among the world’s largest B2B marketplaces for wholesale purchases. AliExpress is Alibaba Group’s online store for international customers. While Alibaba.com is aimed at businesses intending to make large purchases and Taobao and Tmall are aimed at the Chinese market, AliExpress serves as a way for consumers around the world to get items cheaper than elsewhere by purchasing from Chinese manufacturers. 5. Shein PhotoGranary02/Shutterstock There are many ways for customers to shop online, and we’ve already covered several in this list. Whether it’s Temu, Amazon or AliExpress, they all do more or less the same thing. Shein is an online shopping platform focused on clothing that has become synonymous with the term “fast fashion”. Like many other popular online shopping platforms, it has its origins in China. This online fashion giant was originally called ZZKKO when it first appeared in China in 2008. It rebranded to the Shein we know today in 2015, and only really started to see true global traction from 2020 onwards, as a result of the pandemic. Unlike many other online retailers, Shein sells its own products, and while it won’t have a physical store until 2025, it competes with popular brands like H&M, Zara, and Forever 21. While the company may have been just a budget Amazon specifically for clothing at one point, it has since become one of the most popular fashion brands for the average consumer, even opening its first permanent physical retail store in Paris in 2025.
