A man is Silhouetted Against a Video Screen With a Facebook Logo
In Photo: Facebook is Soon Going to Face One of the Biggest Class Action Law Suit Very Soon. REUTERS

By temporarily lifting the blockade on leading social media Web sites such as Facebook and Twitter, China sprang a surprise. This limited access is being attributed to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit that China is hosting in Beijing from Nov10- to 11 and will be attended by top world leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Diplomatically, China is using the decontrol to don a liberal face before the world, reports Market Watch.

Media Surprise

China's sudden softline on social media surprised the international media in the massive media room. Notwithstanding, China's touchy stand on affairs in Tibet, the media personnel were mighty surprised that they could freely search for Dalai Lama news over Google without any censorship. China has been trying to control its Internet traffic with massive firewalls to block social media sites from "spreading unrest and negative impact" on its population. This is the first time that China is loosening Internet restrictions for the sake of an international event. Popular Web sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube were blocked in China ever since 2009, even though some enthusiasts still access it by illegally jumping over China's firewall.

Softness To Facebook

However, some market analysts are reading more into the plan to unlock social media, especially Facebook. It may be recalled that in recent times, Facebook had stepped up its efforts to enter the Chinese market in a big way, despite the ban it is facing since 2009.

Facebook has clocked some success in its strategy to infiltrate the Chinese market by projecting its CEO Mark Zuckerberg as an influencer in corporate governance The case in point is the appointment of Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg into the board of business school in China. The Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management appointed Zuckerberg's to its board.

For the Facebook chief, the appointment is a tactical gain in developing the desired meeting ground with top Chinese officials in the role as an American corporate honcho, reports Business Week. For Zuckerberg, the Chinese honour is a real blessing in disguise for pushing the case of Facebook in China, according to some analysts.

Entry Certain

Says Victor Anthony, managing director, Topeka Capital Markets, "This is one more data point to confirm Facebook's re-entry into China in the next couple of years. Even if the exact timing is not known, it is a matter of 'when,' not 'if.'" That Facebook is almost clear that it will be entering China again. This is better understood from the fact that Facebook has inked a three-year lease for prime space in the heart of Beijing's business district to open its office, added the report.