Facebook quietly establishes its subsidiary in China despite hardened censorship

Facebook established a subsidiary in China with a registered capital of $ 30 million, according to an official business registration, hinting that the US company could increase its presence in the restrictive market where its sites of social media remain blocked

The subsidiary is registered in Hangzhou, the home of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., according to an approved file on the credit reporting system of the national enterprise of China last week and seen by Reuters on Tuesday. interested in setting up an innovation center in Zhejiang to support Chinese developers, innovators and start-ups, "said a representative of Facebook by email.

The Facebook site remains banned China, which strictly censors foreign news agencies, search engines and social media, including Twitter Inc.'s and Google's content. Alphabet Inc.

Having a wholly foreign-owned business in China does not change Facebook's approach to the country, the company said, adding that it was still learning different approaches on what it takes to be in China.

Last year Facebook The WhatsApp messaging application was also blocked on the eve of the country's twice-ten-year congress, and it remained for the most part unavailable since.

The file indexed Facebook Hongkong Ltd and no other entity While censorship controls have hardened under Xi Jinping, who was formally appointed president in 2013, US technology companies with blocked content seek more and more new ways to enter the market without attracting the wrath of regulators.

has several hundred employees in China and recently launched its own artificial intelligence laboratory (AI). He has also launched several applications for the Chinese market in recent months, including an AI drawing game and a file management application.

Apple Inc also modified its app stores to accommodate Chinese censorship restrictions last year. removing hundreds of applications at the request of regulators.

Facebook said its Chinese subsidiary will focus on training and workshops that will help software developers and entrepreneurs innovate. The company has similar centers in many countries, including France, Brazil, India and Korea

Reuters