Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, has been trying to persuade China to lift its ban on Facebook. Because he shows an interest in China’s culture and consistently puts effort into networking with Chinese officials, there’s a good chance he’ll eventually come to a compromise with China.
Making Headlines in China
Zuckerberg’s recent weekend trip to Beijing made local headlines and was a hot topic among China’s Internet users. He wrote a blog post about his jog through Tiananmen Square complete with a picture of his jog that went viral online. During his stay, Zuckerberg also had a conversation with Jack Ma, the CEO of Alibaba, and he met with the Head of the Propaganda Department, Liu Yunshan. It was a busy weekend for Zuckerberg that may play an important role in getting China to lift its ban on Facebook.
How Zuckerberg is Winning Over the Chinese People
Zuckerberg’s attempts to integrate with the Chinese people have certainly not started with this weekend trip, however. He has been working on building a relationship with Chinese officials for a while now. For instance, he has met with President Xi Jinping outside of China before. As he told a Chinese official, he also read a book about President Xi Jinping’s words. In previous trips to China, Zuckerberg impressed the people with his Chinese language skills and interest in the country, the basics of becoming loved by another nation’s citizens. Learn their language, and learn about their country and culture.
What Foreign Companies Can Learn from Zuckerberg
Foreign companies who seek entrance in China have much to learn by observing Zuckerberg’s journey of working out a deal with China to launch Facebook there. Be prepared to invest time in learning basic Chinese language skills, networking with Chinese officials, and understanding the culture. These three things are critical for being welcomed by the Chinese people.
Conclusion
Mark Zuckerberg is smart to continue building relationships with Chinese officials and encouraging engagement with Chinese citizens. He not only needs to be on good terms with authorities but liked by social media users in China as well. His blog posts pertaining to his trips in China are a great way to connect with the Chinese people. We won’t be surprised if China lifts the ban on Facebook in the near future.
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