The Facebook founder stunned audiences at Qinghua University with a speech and Q&A session delivered entirely in Chinese. The event took place after the social media mogul had been named as a member of Qinghua’s School of Economics and Management’s advisory board. Attracting such high level international talent illustrates once again the growing international importance of the Middle Kingdom.
Personal Growth or Marketing Ploy?
International and Chinese media alike are gushing over Zuckerberg; it seems that the business wiz has struck a cord with local nationalism, while non-Chinese speakers are swooning in admiration of him having tamed the “untamable language”. It seems the glitz and glamour of Zuckerberg’s person has entirely blinded most of the reporting community, contributing to what may be yet another intelligent move by the successful entrepreneur toward securing world dominance.
“I learned Chinese because my wife has a Chinese background. She speaks Chinese at home and her grandmother can only speak Chinese”, Zuckerberg tells the loving audience in the auditorium and worldwide, pulling at our heartstrings.
“China is a great country, studying the language has helped me to understand the culture,” is his second argument. Finally, as an afterthought he adds that he likes a challenge, purporting the myth of Chinese as the unlearnable language. On the face of it this is a wonderful story.
What better reason to learn a language than for your loved one? His second motivation, however, seems to suggest there is more to the story than the devoted husband wanting to be closer to his new family.
It is no secret that China is probably the last fortress that remains (almost) firmly closed to Facebook, having been blocked in 2009 after riots in Xinjiang province were allegedly organized via the American site. The country’s protectionism has been depriving the company of access to their biggest potential market; Zuckerberg’s latest moves, though, suggest that he is not going to let this minor detail keep him from trying to get his hooks in the mainland.
Stating Facebook is not present in China is of course a foolish supposition; climbing the Great Firewall of China is a common hobby of internationally-minded locals. As a result, according to the Internet World Stats website, Facebook already had over 633 000 users based in China in December 2012.
The company behind the world’s most successful social media is also gaining foothold in China via other platforms such as WhatsApp, through the acquisition of which the conglomerate has access to the apps considerable Chinese user base; and up until recently via Instagram, also owned by the company with the blue-boxed F.
Even more importantly, it was revealed in May 2014 that Facebook is considering opening a China office; not to get Facebook into China but rather to provide better and more timely service to their Chinese advertisers (who are looking to reach overseas clients, so the official line). According to China Real Time, a Wall Street Journal blog, this move could put Facebook in closer contact with government officials, a necessity if Zuckerberg is hoping to get the ban on his baby lifted at any point in time.
Finally, that Zuckerberg knows how to deal with the public is no secret. A controversial character, he is very aware of handling delicate matters. Is it therefore really that cynical to suggest that anything other but eternal love to his wife could have been the motivator for this move? If it looks like a publicity stunt and if it smells like one, it probably is.
China as Big Innovator
One quote from Zuckerberg’s Qinghua show will most certainly have been music to Beijing’s ears. In answer to the question of China’s innovation capabilities, he was full of compliment. “Xiaomi is a very innovative company. They have developed really fast…Tencent’s WeChat is big too, and Taobao creates job opportunities.”
This statement, though, should be taken with a grain of salt, considering Zuckerberg is so obviously out to court the Chinese government.
Ironically, his comment is currently being contradicted by some of the most credible voices imaginable. Carrie Gracie, the BBC’s China editor, recently spoke to a number of Chinese IT professionals from independent start-ups to mobile phone giant ZTE, on the question of whether China could truly innovate.
Chang Bin, from ZTE’s R&D department was surprisingly frank in his assessment on the state of innovation in China. “I think maybe Apple generates more creative ideas that change the way we live. Currently our innovation is mostly focused on how to solve concrete problems in existing systems.”
BBC’s Gracie goes on to explain that this is the crux behind the mega-company’s success, “taking somebody else’s big idea and working on the small incremental innovations to deliver it to market faster or cheaper involves fewer risks than striking out on something radically new.”
The report further outlines the struggles of start-ups who want to be innovative but find it difficult in an environment of controlled government funding, which tends to go to more “sure thing” type of businesses.
So, if not even China’s own techies believe that their country is capable of high-level innovation, what makes Mr. Z, a highly accomplished innovator of communication technology, say otherwise? I am sure he would love to answer that question in fluent Chinese.
