New | Twitter opens Hong Kong office for closer ties with Chinese businesses
The move is a clear sign that the US social media giant has kept alive its ambitions for doing business in the lucrative Chinese market.
Twitter, whose real-time micro-blogging service has been blocked in mainland China since 2009, is officially opening its office in Hong Kong today.
The move is a clear sign that the US social media giant has kept alive its ambitions for doing business in the world’s number one economy.
Both Twitter and Facebook have been blocked in China for the past six years. Beijing is wary of Chinese netizens making use of Twitter and other social media tools to plan large-scale anti-government protests, such as the 2011 "Arab Spring" uprisings in the Middle East.
In announcing the launch of its Hong Kong branch, which will serve as the head office for the Greater China region, Twitter has emphasised its intention to help Chinese businesses connect with overseas users, rather than enter the Chinese market itself.
"We're capitalising on this growing trend where the most ambitious, entrepreneurial and successful Chinese companies want to go global, and we believe that Twitter is an essential way for them to connect and engage with the world," said Shailesh Rao, Twitter's vice president for Asia Pacific, Americas and emerging markets.