Meituan Wei Wei: Hei Zhen Zhu will continue to build a bridge between Chinese diners and international restaurants

Ask AI · How does AI Ask Xiaotuan change the experience of exploring overseas cuisine?

On March 23, the 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide China Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Overseas Launch Event was held in Singapore. Wei Wei, Vice President of Meituan and General Manager of Meituan’s In-store Dining Division, stated that traveling for experiences is becoming a new lifestyle, and dining is one of the most perceptible and memorable parts.

As Chinese consumers accelerate their exploration of global cuisines, AI is enhancing decision-making efficiency in finding restaurants abroad, checking information, consulting, and making reservations. Data shows that during the 2026 Spring Festival, page views related to “Overseas Cuisine/Restaurants” on Meituan and Dianping increased by nearly 20% compared to before the holiday. AI Ask Xiaotuan has become a new way for diners to communicate with restaurants, with 31.9% of interactions in Xiaotuan related to food scenes. The intelligent concierge AI for merchants, including AI reception, reservations, queuing, and smart ordering, also helps restaurants serve consumer needs more efficiently.

Currently, Black Pearl is growing in sync with Chinese diners’ travel radius, consumption interests, and lifestyles, better establishing a trusted benchmark for fine dining. The newly released 2026 Black Pearl Overseas List covers 135 restaurants in 7 cities, an 18.4% increase from last year, with Seoul included for the first time. Wei Wei said that Black Pearl will continue to build a more trustworthy and warm bridge between Chinese diners and global restaurants, helping more quality restaurants worldwide enter the Chinese consumer’s view.

(Author: Hongcan Editorial Team)