Pity Robin Li, co-founder of Chinese search leader Baidu. Everywhere he goes, he risks being surrounded by mobs of adoring fans.

At the recent Baidu World technology conference in Beijing, he was the star attraction again but carefully guarded. Such is the life of Internet celebrities in China who were among the first generation of successful entrepreneurs such as the powerful three: Robin Li, Jack Ma of Alibaba and Pony Ma of Tencent.  All three have veered from their original core businesses - Baidu from search, Alibaba from e-commerce and Tencent from social messaging and gaming.

At this annual forum in Beijing, Li, dressed in his classic white shirt emblazoned with a Baidu logo, set an upbeat tone for a series of product introductions and upgrades. In the forefront were autonomous driving, smart city improvements, and voice activated speakers that respond not just to short commands but within conversational flows.

Flashy, surround-sound videos displayed how these new products work in real life. M any of them revolve around Baidu's Apollo autonomous driving platform that was launched two years ago.  Two initiatives in AI-driving were unveiled: a partnership with China's large auto manufacturer FAW Group to produce autonomous passenger vehicles and start testing them next year in Beijing and Changchun, and the pilot launch of 100 self-driving taxis in Changhsha.

Smart city projects that leverage AI and are designed to work first in Beijing and Shanghai municipalities were also on display. 

Volvo Car Group's president and CEO Hakan Samuelsson joined the stage to announce that Volvo is teaming up with Baidu to develop electric vehicles with self-driving capabilities for the large China market. With Volvo security and Baidu AI, it's a good combo. Volvo is the first western car maker with Baidu workings.
By the way, Baidu has a new slogan - Yes AIDo, a double meaning and play on words since AI sounds like I love in Chinese and of course it stands for AI.

Read Forbes: Baidu's New Face

Meet Meituan And Its Makeover

	Meituan HQ, Beijing with  trademark delivery scooters

Chinese tech giant Meituan keeps reinventing its lifestyle services business that spans food deliv ery, restaurant ordering, travel bookings, and movie tickets, ordered over mobile app. I t's morphed way beyond its GroupOn -like origins as it competes with Alibaba's beefed up delivery business Ele.me on its defined mission to help folks eat better, live better.

One of a new era of Internet-plus Chinese companies that have sprung up in recent years, Meituan has just restructured amidst China 's heavily competitive mobile apps market. Meituan plans to sharpen its focus on matching up supply and demand from among its 357 million customers and its 5.1 million merchants in China -- not to mention its 529,000 riders who deliver the goods on speedy scooters.

The restructuring, the first since raising $4.2 billion in a Hong Kong IPO in September 2018, is about strengthening Meituan's "food + platform. " Meituan is creating three business units: in-store, at home and a user platform with a subset of its services. Meituan has been chiefly known for its food delivery business, bringing box lunches to office workers but it's also a super app for all kinds of services. There's really nothing like it in the West.

	Little Elephant supermarket with wrapped fresh foods

Meituan is also expanding by getting into fresh food retailing, like Amazon did with its Whole Foods acquisition. Meituan has opened a new boutique supermarket under the brand name Small Elephant . I visited one of these supermarkets-plus stores in northern Beijing not far from Meituan headquarters. I give it high marks for selection of fresh foods, spaciousness,  cleanliness and some high-tech touches such as a customer service machine. There's a dine-in section and fresh seafood section as well. We'll soon see how it compares with Alibaba's Hema automated stores.

Read Forbes: Makeover at Meituan

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