Several Chinese media outlets are reporting this weekend that Facebook is close to a deal with Chinese search engine giant Baidu to provide social networking services in China, with some reports saying a contract has already been signed.
Facebook, like many other popular social sites from the west such as Twitter and YouTube, has been blocked in China going back to 2009. China’s strict Internet censorship and surveillance policies have earned the nickname the “Great Firewall of China”. However, with such a large Internet population at stake, many western companies are aggressively pursuing a way in through partnerships and talks with the government. Getting inside the Great Firewall would give Facebook access to 457 million Internet users.
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