With Google’s latest move, the plot is thickening around technology giants fighting for dominance in China and the U.S. — and the plot we’re speaking of already has several different threads: JD.com’s efforts to chase down Chinese rival and market leader Alibaba through e-commerce, mobile commerce, brick-and-mortar retail and digital payments; JD.com’s strategy to gain a foothold in Europe and North America before Alibaba can; Google’s attempts to close ground on Amazon in shopping search, voice-driven commerce and other areas; Walmart’s battle to become a powerful brick-and-mortar presence in China by partnering with local giants like JD.com and Tencent Holdings; and even Tencent’s effort to make its WeChat mobile messaging platform a force in shopping and payments.
