He also found time to pay a call on Tencent, the Shenzhen-based Internet company that boasts over 700 million users of its QQ social-media platforms.

FORBES: Chinese Leaders Knock On Internet Giants' Doors As Transition Unfolds

Some people have multiple microblog accounts: Tencent has its own QQ-branded Weibo service.

FORBES: Putting A Price On Sina Weibo, China's Answer To Twitter

According to Tencent, whose services include instant messaging service QQ, microblogging site Tencent Weibo - which is similar to Twitter - and online games, WeChat has close to 300 million users.

BBC: Tencent

Now Tencent has its own group-buying site, QQ Tuan.

FORBES: Can Groupon Succeed in China?

Social media (in China, BBSes, QQ, Sina Weibo and other mobile texting services) provide reinforcement, acting as word-of-mouth before the final purchase decision is made, which may be made online or offline.

FORBES: What is Holding Back Digital Advertising Adspend in China?