Picked this up from the Financial Times Tech Blog:
MySpace China says no to foreign interference
Mure Dickie tells us:
Local executives will be in full control of MySpace China’s operations, technology development and marketing, insisted CEO Luo Chuan on Thursday, ahead of the launch of a beta test version of the http://www.myspace.cn site.
Wendi Deng (Deng Wen Di), Rupert’s wife, is on the board of MySpace.cn, a board composed entirely of “locals” says Mure.
“I have sent my wife across there because she understands the language.”
Could this be one way of allaying Chinese government fears about “outside” interference, and control over the Internet, as well as a good business strategy? Seems smart. But will it work? There’s been enough problems policing MySpace in any country. Let’s see….
MySpace.cn will also have to compete against social networking sites such as Mop.com and WangYou.com, started by Chinese entrepreneurs, and now with millions of users.
And why all this effort?
China has 137 million people online, and is on track to surpass the United States as the largest online population in two years.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, 28-April-2007
