Weibo: Tech Execs Call On Facebook On Silicon Valley Tour
Senior and mid-level executives from a wide range of Chinese tech firms were on the move this past week, crossing the Pacific to tour some of the top US tech names in Silicon Valley. Stops on the tour, co-organized by a Chinese outfit with the colorful name of Geek Park, included such Internet giants as Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), Twitter (NYSE: TWTR), as well as newer companies like Airbnb and Pinterest, and electric car powerhouse Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA). But certainly the biggest and most intriguing stop on this Silicon Valley tech tour was a visit to the global headquarters of Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), which also happens to be in the process of opening a China office.
Executives on the tour came from Chinese firms like e-commerce giant JD.com (Nasdaq: JD), recently listed security software specialist Cheetah Mobile (NYSE: CMCM) and fast-rising smartphone superstar Xiaomi. Most of the posts from the various meetings came from JD.com senior vice president Xu Xinquan and Cheetah Mobile CEO Fu Sheng, though Xiaomi co-founder Li Wanqiang also took time out to make at least one post. Most of the chatter centered on general commentary about the various companies they visited. That list of names also hints at who may be eying the China market.
Of the companies mentioned in the numerous microblog posts, only Tesla has formally entered the China market after delivering its first electric cars to Chinese buyers back in April. (previous post). But Airbnb also includes Chinese properties in its service, which allows private homeowners to rent out their apartments to business and leisure travelers. Despite being blocked in China, Twitter may also be interested in the market following a low-key visit to Shanghai earlier this year by company CEO Dick Costolo. (previous post)
But among the China wannabes that rolled out the red carpet on this Silicon Valley tech tour, Facebook is probably the boldest and most persistent about its aim to enter the market, even though its official website has been blocked there for the last 5 years. Facebook has said repeatedly that it aims to establish a China presence, and its founder Mark Zuckerberg has made several trips to the country. It is also in the process of setting up a China sales office in Beijing, though the actual opening hasn’t actually happened yet.
The Facebook stop was one of the first on the tour that began last week, where the Chinese group attended a session titled “Tech In China And The US: Comparison and Conversation”. Cheetah Mobile’s Fu Sheng was one of the panelists at the session, while Facebook was represented by Vaughan Smith, vice president of corporate development. Xiaomi’s Li Wanqiang also spoke at the Facebook event, in a session profiled on Geek Park’s website. (Chinese article) There’s no mention of Zuckerberg in any of the posts, which leads me to believe he probably didn’t make an appearance at the event.
Most of the talk from the executives was focused on small details from the visits, with Cheetah Mobile’s Fu Sheng praising the Facebook campus in general and saying his own company should imitate some of its aspects. (microblog post) JD.com’s Xu Xinquan commented how Facebook employs frequent use slogans and propaganda-esque posters in its offices, reminiscent of some of the practices used in China. (microblog post) To an outside observer like myself, this particular visit doesn’t look too ground-breaking and was probably more of a gesture in Facebook’s PR campaign to generate goodwill in China.
Postings from other visits were a bit more sporadic, with executives from several tech firms making their own comments from various meetings. JD.com’s Xu tweeted about the culture of equality at Twitter, and how Twitter executives praised China for its leading position in mobile e-commerce. (microblog post) Shen Xuehua, chief technology officer at online advertising specialist iPinYou, gave a relatively detailed list of some of the topics discussed at the various companies the group visited, including a session on “Retargeting and dynamic creating” at Google, and “Brand advertising and guaranteed delivery” at Facebook. (microblog post)
On the whole, the trip looks like it attracted a handful of big-name Chinese Internet executives, but was mostly peopled by mid-level officials representing their companies. Likewise, the groups were met by mostly similar mid-level officials at most of the companies they visited, with a guest appearance or two by a few chief executives. That kind of mid-level ties and technical exchanges could ultimately be the most significant thing, as Chinese and US tech firms move past the high-profile but less substantive meetings of top officials and strengthen broader cooperation that could produce some interesting partnerships in the future.
