<p>In the fiercely competitive market for smartphone applications, two Asian contenders are starting a trend from the Far Eastand sending a message to Silicon Valley.</p><p>China's WeChat and Japan's Line may be unfamiliar to most U.S. smartphone users. But the apps, which combine instant messaging with social networks, are well-known to hundreds of millions in Asia and other parts of the globe, challenging the global dominance of U.S.-based WhatsApp Inc. and even posing a potential threat to Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc.</p><p>Line and WeChat's prospects are far from assured in the fast-evolving world of mobile services, and how well ...Continue reading article with pop up player</p><p><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303643304579108924275071910.html">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/morning_call/2013/10/facebook-whatsapp-facing-line-wechat.html">Facebook, WhatsApp challenged by Asian messaging apps</a> (San Francisco Business Times)</p><p><a href="http://www.morningnewsusa.com/twitter-acknowledges-chat-apps-in-asia-as-possible-competitors-236654.html">Twitter Acknowledges Chat Apps in Asia as Possible Competitors</a> (Morning News USA)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dD5lGUf4YzTZ6ZMEvVPiQ8uqFL6gM&ned=us">4 additional articles.</a></p>