@eddwall**@******Of course and this is the Chinese model. You get in bed with the Chinese government, follow their onerous rules, let them snoop, censor, violate privacy and do whatever they want and they will protect you from competition. The only problem with this model is that there is no hope of expanding overseas. First, nobody trusts the reputation of Chinese Internet companies or the government. Hence BAIDU's total failure in Japan. Second, the companies they copied are entrenched, experienced and have a global presence. What can a Chinese company offer a consumer that those Western companies cannot? Third, it promotes Chinese isolation - while the rest of the world is getting together, exchanging ideas and sharing information, China is creating copycat platforms where only China and Chinese people exist. Sure some multinationals will feel compelled to join social media in order to promote their products in China, but they are the exception. In the end, when the Chinese economy suffers, these Mainland companies will not have alternative sources of revenue and will likely struggle to survive the test of time.