“Go Global”: China’s App Market Is Powering International Expansion
With over a billion smartphone users and some of the world’s most forward-thinking apps, China’s mobile scene is reshaping how digital business is done. In 2025, intense competition, evolving user behavior, and new regulations are pushing Chinese apps to expand globally faster than ever before.
For many homegrown tech giants, from e-commerce to entertainment, going global isn’t just a goal anymore, it’s a must. That’s the view of Bo Li, General Manager at DYG China. We sat down with him to explore what’s really driving this shift and how the industry is adapting from the inside out.
With close to 20 years of experience in digital advertising, app attribution, and programmatic marketing, Bo brings a deep understanding of how Chinese app makers are tackling local challenges, while taking their success strategies to new markets. In our conversation, he shares an inside look at what makes China’s app ecosystem so distinctive, and how it’s powering growth on a global scale.
Interview with Bo Li, Country Manager DYG China
China has a unique dynamic, where does the mobile advertising market stand?
China’s mobile advertising market is incredibly fast-paced with new developments emerging daily. From my perspective, the most significant trends that owners and marketers absolutely need to be aware of right now, a few key points. First and foremost, it’s what I call the “go global” trend.
Domestic competition is fierce, pushing everyone to seek new growth opportunities. Taking apps overseas to acquire international users is no longer an option, it’s a must. Everyone is looking for new blue oceans. So, there’s an extreme focus on performance. Chinese clients are very ROI driven, they expect every penny spent to deliver tangible results or subsequent actions. This directly fuels the popularity of performance-based payment models like our hybrid revenue share.
Finally, data optimization is at the center of what Chinese clients know how to do and are looking for when taking their apps abroad. They leverage their domestic campaign experience and data analysis skills to optimize their products exceptionally well, which allows them to go global at an astonishing speed. TikTok and Temu are prime examples of how they can rapidly replicate success in global markets.
Where do you see DYG’s biggest opportunities for growth and impact in the Chinese market?
I believe DYG’s biggest opportunities for growth and impact in the future boil down to becoming the global growth engine for Chinese apps going overseas. Specifically, there are a few key points. Firstly, the overseas trend for Chinese apps is a massive continuously growing blue ocean market. Chinese apps are very mature in terms of R&D capabilities and product models domestically. However, when they expand globally, they often lack a global perspective, media resources and localized operational experience. This is precisely where DYG can provide immense value.
Secondly, our CPA/CPI performance-based payment model perfectly aligns with Chinese clients’ needs. It’s low risk and measurable, allowing them to invest in overseas markets with more confidence and higher efficiency.
Finally, we have strong access to valuable traffic sources across different international markets, something that’s often hard to secure for Chinese apps looking to expand abroad. In addition, we’re equipped to maintain the performance and reliability of that traffic to support consistent campaign results.
What do Chinese clients value most from partners like DYG?
In China, relationships are indeed paramount and form the bedrock of long-term partnerships. We primarily approach building and maintaining clients’ relationships from several angles. We focus on, firstly, deeply understanding clients’ pain points and true needs.
We don’t immediately boost our technology. Instead, we listen to the problems clients face when going global, such as high CPI, poor user quality or difficulty finding overseas traffic. Only by truly understanding their pain points can we offer targeted solutions.
Secondly, our partners value our proactive approach to solving challenges in an ever-evolving industry. We offer local Customer Success support tailored to both language and cultural nuances, ensuring smoother collaboration and faster resolution times. Our deep understanding of local markets also gives us access to niche supply sources, including specialized SSPs and Ad Exchanges that can be difficult to reach otherwise. On top of that, our flexible testing conditions and clear commitment to KPIs at every stage help build long-term trust and transparency with our clients.
Lastly, we stand out on transparency and efficient communication. Chinese clients demand high communication and transparency. We ensure our data reports are clear, respond promptly to issues and that our local team maintains high-frequency communication with clients, making them feel our professionalism and sincerity. It’s about building local trust. Through our local team’s network connection, cultural understanding and past success stories, we will gradually build our customers’ trust in DYG. This trust is the foundation for long-term cooperation.
So, what qualities are most important for your team to succeed in such a fast-paced, competitive environment?
Great question. Team building is indeed paramount. Our China team is now fully established with five core members. My approach is to prioritize quality over quantity: for a new operation, a team of five is already substantial, so we are not in a hurry to expand it rapidly. We’re prioritizing the quality and expertise of each member.
Everyone must be an expert in mobile advertising and possess strong self-motivation. Also, they must merge localized knowledge with cross-culture understanding. Our team members must not only understand the business, but also deeply comprehend the Chinese market and its clients, while acting as a bridge, connecting DYG’s global resources and the Chinese market.
To help them with that, we conduct regular training to keep them updated on the latest global market trends and platform features. While also educating our global team about China’s distinct market dynamics.
ChinaJoy is around the corner, DYG will have its own booth, how does the event fit into your broader strategy?
China Joy is definitely a critical point for us in the second half of the year.
We’re not just showing up, DYG’s key objectives for the conference this year are primarily two. First, it’s about precise client acquisition and building a strong sales pipeline. We know many leading or mid-tier gaming, internet finance and entertainment app developers will be there. We will leverage the conference to arrange high-level meetings, establish connections and expand our potential client base. We aim to convert every high-quality lead from the exhibitions into a tangible sales pipeline, setting a solid foundation for future collaborations.
Second, it’s about rapidly enhancing brand exposure. DYG is still an emerging player in the Chinese market. And ChinaJoy is a major industry benchmark with immense public visibility. We intend to use this platform to make a high-profile appearance, helping Chinese overseas developers and advertisers recognize and understand us, quickly establishing DYG’s professional image and influence.
What trends or advancements are you hoping to see at China Joy that could shape the industry’s future?
AI and data analytics are incredibly exciting right now. I believe they are becoming truly disruptive for the mobile advertising industry. On a more specific level, there are a few innovations I’m particularly optimistic about.
Firstly, AI’s application in creative optimization and personalized recommendations. Up until this point, AB testing could be very time-consuming. Now, AI can automatically generate and test a vast number of creative assets and even adjust ads in real time based on user behavior, enabling hyper-personalized ad delivery. This significantly boosts ad efficiency and user experience.
Secondly, AI advancement in user targeting and LTV prediction. In an era of increasingly strict data privacy regulations, obtaining user IDs is becoming more challenging. However, AI can analyze non-ID data like user behavior and interest graphs to precisely target high-value users and even predict their lifetime value. This allows us to spend smarter, directing our budget towards users who will generate long-term returns.
Lastly, AI is becoming increasingly powerful in anti-fraud matters. This helps us efficiently identify and block fraud installs and invalid clicks, protecting our advertisers’ budgets. All these innovations enable us to acquire users more efficiently and precisely, truly achieving data-driven growth, which actually aligns perfectly with DYG’s core capabilities and value proposition.
Speaking of DYG’s value proposition, looking at the bigger picture, what makes DYG stand out in the Chinese mobile advertising market?
I believe DYG’s unique competitive advantage in the Chinese mobile advertising market in a nutshell is providing Chinese advertisers with new global traffic channels.
We are performance marketing experts, specifically aiming at Chinese apps going global. We deeply understand Chinese clients’ extreme pursuit of ROI, so our CPA/CPI model is designed to solve their most critical user acquisition pain points. We offer low risk, high efficiency and measurable outbound solutions.
We also possess powerful global premium traffic resources. We can access high-quality traffic from various global markets, which is a scarce resource for many Chinese apps looking to expand internationally. This isn’t just about the volume of traffic, but the quality: attracting high-value users.
Finally, we also have a local team that truly understands the Chinese market and its clients. We don’t just bring in foreign technology and resources. We have a team that genuinely comprehends Chinese clients’ communications habits and cultural background. They can build deep local networks and trust, providing seamless localized services. In China’s complex market environment, this global capability and local execution combination is hard for many competitors to replicate. So, for Chinese app owners acquiring success in the global market, DYG offers a comprehensive and unique solution. We not only bring a global perspective and resources, but also local execution capabilities and trust, helping them navigate this complex but rewarding landscape to achieve long-term goals.
To wrap up this deep dive into the evolving Chinese app market, it’s clear that the “go global” mindset is no longer just a strategy—it’s the new standard. As Chinese digital players sharpen their focus on performance, data-driven decision-making, and international ambition, companies like DYG are uniquely positioned to guide this next phase of expansion. By combining local expertise with global reach, and by prioritizing genuine partnerships rooted in trust and measurable results, DYG aims to set a benchmark for how Chinese apps can thrive overseas. As the industry faces rapid change and rising expectations, adaptability and innovation will remain the keys to unlocking new opportunities on the world stage.
