TikTok parent ByteDance expands in Shenzhen

ByteDance, parent company of TikTok and Toutiao, is expanding its footprint in Shenzhen as the city kicks off the new year with a sweeping investment push into innovation and industry.

A computer-generated image of the pan-video R&D and business headquarters cluster in Nanshan. Photos from WeChat account "创新南山”

The tech giant is expected to be a major participant in a newly launched pan-video R&D and business headquarters cluster in Nanshan District, part of a broader package of 222 key projects totaling 157.3 billion yuan (US$22 billion) citywide. The Nanshan initiative is designed to bolster Shenzhen’s position in the digital economy and artificial intelligence sectors.

The planned cluster will support core ByteDance operations — including AI research, SaaS services, and new business lines — while anchoring a wider pan-video innovation ecosystem.

This marks ByteDance’s second major move in Shenzhen within a year. In July 2025, the company opened its first self-developed regional headquarters — the ByteDance Houhai Center— also located in Nanshan. That facility oversees business operations and technical R&D for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, China’s southern economic powerhouse.

The ByteDance Houhai Center in Nanshan. 

ByteDance’s growing presence highlights Shenzhen’s appeal to leading tech firms, and reflects broader efforts by the city to position itself as a hub for next-generation industries.

Shenzhen has attracted an array of domestic and global corporations in recent years, including Xiaomi, Walmart China, China Resources Microelectronics, and Yum China. Nearly 400 enterprises have been officially designated as city-level headquarters, according to government data.