Twitter has been blocked in mainland China since 2009, but that hasn’t stopped the micro-blogging service from opening an office in Hong Kong as of today. The Hong Kong office of Twitter will serve as the head office for the greater China region, says a report from South China Morning Post.
Twitter actively hiring for its new office
While announcing the new office, Twitter emphasized helping Chinese businesses connect with overseas users, rather than entering the Chinese market.
Twitter’s vice president for Asia Pacific, Americas and emerging markets Shailesh Rao said, “We’re capitalizing on this growing trend where the most ambitious, entrepreneurial and successful Chinese companies want to go global, and we believe that Twitter is an essential way for them to connect and engage with the world.”
Twitter hopes that its next phase of growth in Asia will get a boost from its new office in Hong Kong, where it will hire a sales team. This team will work directly with advertisers across the Greater China market. The corporate website of the San Francisco-based company lists several job openings for the Hong Kong office including for an account executive and media partnership manager.
China a lucrative, but conservative market
China is the world’s number one economy, offering huge opportunities for businesses across the world. The U.S. social media giant also wants to cash in, and is therefore making every effort to get on the right track.
Both Twitter and Facebook have been blocked in China for more than six years. The Beijing authorities claim they are afraid that the widespread reach of the social media platforms could fuel similar uprisings in China as have taken place in the Middle East known as the “Arab Spring.” Of note, many Google services including Gmail and Hangouts were also blocked in China last year.
On its website, Twitter says it is the largest global real-time information network with over 288 million monthly active users. Of note, the micro-blogging site already has offices in Tokyo and Singapore.
