Digital technology has opened a language opportunity for The Economist, which has launched an app which presents in both Chinese and English.
Deputy editor Tom Standage says the publisher had long written off the idea of foreign-language print editions: "However, the rise of digital technology changes the game - we can now deliver content quickly and without the cost constraints of print publishing," he says.
The new Economist Global Business Review app will deliver analysis on global trends in business, finance and technology in English and either simplified or traditional Chinese on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.
Other local-language offerings are set to follow with plans to reach "a new set of global business leaders" in markets such as mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. It is the first bilingual product in the publication's 171-year history.
Curated business, finance and technology stories from the weekly newspaper are being translated "to the highest degree" to maintain stylistic nuances of the original text, with 30 a month planned.
Standage says Chinese was a natural first language to choose, given the increasing global reach of Chinese companies and its diaspora.
Publisher and Asia Pacific group managing director Tim Pinnegar says the move opens up an entirely new market not accessible before: "Our growth strategy over the next five years is exactly focused on attracting new audiences and capitalising on innovations in product and service offerings," he says.
Launch of the app in April and May is being sponsored by Hyundai.