Facebook and Twitter have been able to navigate all sorts of milestones, from IPOs to tech hurdles. But when it comes to interacting with the Chinese government—whether online or in person—it seems the Chinese, not the social media networks, call all the shots.
According to The Financial Times, Twitter, which is currently on a list of blocked websites in China (the Chinese have their own micro-blogging platform, Weibo, with 100 million daily users), has made a controversial hire that may signal an interest in pursuing a closer relationship with the Chinese government. Their new managing director for Greater China, Kathy Chen, was formerly with a company called CA-Jinchen that develops and operates China’s Internet filtering products. Her role, her LinkedIn says, was “information security.”
The Chinese government commissions and employs a host of projects and legislation designed to regulate the Internet within the country’s boundaries, dubbed the “Great Firewall.” CA-Jinchen worked directly with the organization that operates these projects, the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Co-ordination Center of China, according to the FT.
Prior to joining Twitter as a director, Kathy Chen hadn’t even joined Twitter, as it prohibited by the Great Firewall itself. Then her account was started and she sent her first 18 Tweets after her hiring was announced.
Chen’s hire is emblematic of Silicon Valley’s desire to integrate with China, and to push China to integrate with the larger world of social media. But judging by Kathy’s Twitter interactions with Chinese state run television, a rare Chinese Twitter account, that will be up to China and not Twitter.
It is also possible that Chen’s hire gives China a greater say in Twitter. Having a Chinese national on Twitter’s team gives the Chinese government a connection with one of the U.S.’s top social media companies, where they could, possibly, wield some influence.
Silicon Valley bigwigs have made a number of overtures to China in recent months; Twitter’s effort is just the latest. But China has been less than enthusiastic about receiving them. It’s clear that China, not the social media executives, is in control of the relationships.
Mark Zuckerberg learned that the hard way when he made overtures to China’s President Xi Jinping, first at a U.S.-China Internet Industry Forum in Seattle and then at a State dinner held in President Xi’s honor. Zuckerberg even asked President Xi to give his baby an honorary Chinese name. Xi refused.
Zuckerberg has even learned Mandarin, but it didn’t help him in this situation. Facebook, like Twitter, is still blocked in China. And while Zuckerberg was invited to the State dinner, his team and Twitters were left out of a larger meeting of tech bigwigs earlier in Xi’s visit.