Facebook in China Soon?

Facebook's 26-year-old Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is visiting China and trying to friend the Chinese authorities. Does this mean Facebook will be back in China soon so I can friend my friends in China? Probably not. As the article points out, it would be hard for Facebook to operate in China the same way it operates in the U.S., politically and culturally. But the visit is certainly a good thing. Once he sees the market potential of China with his own eyes, who is to say that the young and ambitious Zuckerberg won't be able to find a way to enter the market. Zuckerberg's visit coincides with the third round of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. Whether the conversation is about social networking, floating the Chinese currency, or improving human rights records, I am glad that the U.S. and China are having these conversations.

List of Industries in China that Foreign Investors May Invest in Has Changed

The Chinese National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) recently announced that it has revised the list industries that foreign investors are encouraged, allowed, restricted or prohibited to invest in. The new listing is available in Chinese. This new list becomes effective on June 1. According to the NDRC, the change is needed to reflect technological changes and industrial development that have occurred since the current list was published in December 2005. This should not affect most proposed investment projects. But potential investors should consult the list before investing too much resource into a project.