As local market gets tough, world is China startups' oyster

Presence of domestic giants and severe competition prompt enterprising firms to push their luck abroad

Severe competition and presence of local giants in the domestic market has pushed smaller Chinese app developers to chase success in overseas markets.

Some of them have tasted success already. For instance, Musical.ly, an online social networking app based on music videos, has drawn media attention in China recently, after reports appeared about its popularity among young people overseas, especially in the United States.