WSJ: Facebook's Fruitless Efforts to Get Back Into China

Facebook, which is looking to reconnect with roughly 700 million internet users, has courted Chinese officials, hired a well-connected policy chief, developed censorship tools and made Zuckerberg more visible in China, including his « smog jog » in Tiananmen Square last year.
While Facebook is on the outside, other social media companies like WeChat, Weibo and QQ have had success in the Chinese market. Kai-Fu Lee, the former head of Google China, said it could be too late for Facebook to make a splash if it is allowed back in.
« At this stage and time with WeChat, Weibo and other products, it’s hopeless, » Lee told the WSJ.
Government censorship would also be a prerequisite if Facebook were allowed back in.
« It’s important for Facebook to respect the laws and regulations of China, » Guo Weimin, vice minister of the State Council Information Office, told the WSJ. « The Chinese government has always had an open approach to social-media networks. Cooperation with new media is welcome on our side.  »
Zuckerberg wants back in, telling analysts in 2015, « obviously, you can’t have a mission of wanting to connect everyone in the world and leave out the biggest country.  »
« Over the long term, that is a situation we will need to figure out a way forward on. « 

Sentiment rank: -1.3