Telegram often accuses WhatsApp of copying it, but in my opinion, Telegram itself has also borrowed heavily from Chinese social media apps, especially Tencent QQ, in terms of design and functionality.

QQ practically accompanied the growth of several generations of Chinese people born in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, almost monopolizing the Chinese instant messaging market in its time. With the development of the times, Tencent launched WeChat, and today these two social media apps from the same company cover almost all of China's daily social interactions.

This makes it easier to understand why Telegram has a certain appeal among Chinese users. Many of its functions and user experience are similar to QQ, making it very easy for many Chinese users to get started.

Of course, in my opinion, the biggest difference between the two is not in their functions, but in who controls the data. QQ and WeChat user data are ultimately regulated by the Chinese Communist Party, while Telegram's user data is controlled by Telegram itself. This is one of the key differences that many people consider when choosing between them.