Shenzhen-based Tencent is the operator of China's multifunctional app WeChat and a major player in the global gaming industry.
The firm also has a presence in cloud computing, entertainment and AI -- the latter of which has seen a boost in interest among Chinese tech giants following the shock release of advanced chatbot DeepSeek this year.
Tencent's revenue in the three months ended March 31 was 180.0 billion yuan ($25.0 billion), a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange showed, up 13 percent compared to the same period last year.
The figure came in slightly higher than a Bloomberg estimate of 175.7 billion yuan.
In a breakdown of sales, Tencent said that revenue from domestic games increased 24 percent year-on-year, while international games saw a 23 percent rise.
Net profits also charted a moderate increase during the first quarter, the results showed, jumping 14 percent year-on-year to reach 47.8 billion yuan.
"AI capabilities already contributed tangibly to our businesses, such as performance advertising and evergreen games," the firm said in a statement.
Tencent added that it has ramped up spending on "new AI opportunities", including integrated features within the WeChat app.
Chinese tech giants have been funnelling resources into the competitive field of AI since the release of DeepSeek's chatbot in January.
The little-known Chinese company caused a global stir because it appeared to have developed the chatbot at a fraction of the price of Western industry leaders such as the United States's OpenAI.
Tencent this year began trialling its own AI model which it says can outpace DeepSeek.
Tencent was among the tech firms caught up in a sweeping domestic crackdown that began in 2020 with officials calling off the massive, planned listing of Alibaba-linked fintech company Ant Group.
Beijing has signalled renewed friendliness toward tech firms in recent months, but broad restrictions on video game access for minors still stand.
JD.com sales rise after costly China food delivery push
Beijing (AFP) May 13, 2025 -
JD.com recorded a jump in first-quarter revenue Tuesday, as the Chinese e-commerce giant makes a costly push to establish itself in the country's highly competitive food delivery sector.
The Beijing-based shopping platform has faced pressure in recent years from a persistent domestic spending slump and heightened competition with its primary rival, Alibaba.
Investors are now closely watching for signs of how JD.com will fare in its bid to challenge dominant food delivery provider Meituan, after launching its own meal service in February.
JD.com achieved net revenue of 301.1 billion yuan ($41.8 billion) in the three-month period ended March 31, according to results published to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
The figure represented a 15.8 percent year-on-year leap, outpacing a Bloomberg forecast of 12 percent and more than twice as fast as last year's first-quarter growth of seven percent.
Net income, meanwhile, came in at 10.9 billion yuan during the first quarter, improving from 7.1 billion yuan during the same period last year.
The profit rise came despite a costly initiative to waive delivery fees this year for eateries that registered before May 1, in an attempt to grab market share from Meituan and Alibaba's Ele.me.
The company on Tuesday hailed "substantial progress in a very brief time" for its expansion into food delivery.
JD.com's foray into the food sector comes as Beijing increasingly embraces online service platforms as a useful driver of employment and domestic consumption in the face of broader pressures on growth.
But fiercer competition has also raised concerns of unfair practices.
China's top market supervisor said Tuesday evening that it has in recent days summoned top food delivery providers including JD.com, Meituan and Ele.me for talks, urging them to abide by e-commerce laws.
Citing "outstanding problems in the current competition in the food delivery industry", the State Administration for Market Regulation said that it and several other government departments had required the firms to "promote the standardised, healthy and orderly development of the platform economy".
JD.com CEO Sandy Xu said on Tuesday that the company's earnings were boosted by "improving consumer sentiment and continued enhancements to JD's supply chain capabilities and user experience".
This contrasts with official data released over the weekend showing that spending in the world's number two economy remains mired in a slump.
On Monday China and the United States announced a substantial -- if temporary -- reduction on mutual import tariffs following talks in Geneva aimed at easing their trade war.
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