(Yicai Global) Nov. 13 -- Ping An Insurance plans to set up its own financial news platform, promising "higher-than-average pay" to the 180 journalists it aims to hire.

China's biggest insurer by market cap will first engage 39 reporters and editors to produce reports and videos on finance, property, the capital markets and the industrial economy, according to a job ad posting that started circulating on social media yesterday, the China News Service's Economic View reported.

Content has become the best starting point for brand building and attracting users in the internet age, according to Pang Bo, chief executive of insurance industry analyst Aiaski.

The venture's success will depend on whether the platform, Ping An Toutiao, can secure a license. Under regulations issued in June 2017, providers of news through websites, apps, and other instant messaging tools must be licensed. So far, there has been no official confirmation that Ping An Toutiao has such a permit.

Public information shows that a unit of Shenzhen Ping An Finance Technology Consulting, founded on Oct. 30 with a registered capital of CNY10 million (USD1.4 million), is the employer. The subsidiary's Legal Representative and Chairman Lu Min, former chairman and chief executive of Ping An Health Insurance, currently heads Autohome, a car information and services platform.