I dont think that will happen ...unless facebook's only interest is to make bucket loads of money. If China does end up buying stake in fb, fb risks loosing a lot of existing users.
> ...unless facebook's only interest is to make bucket loads of money
Aren't they a corporation? What other interest would they have?
And Facebook is probably going to lose quite a few users to Google+ anyway - I can't think of anyone who would eschew Google+ for Facebook, but then suddenly quit because China invested.
Not really. China will get non-voting stock. I'd pay money to see a Chinese representative trying to explain to Mark "I'm the CEO, bitch" Zukerberg why their minority non-voting stock means Facebook MUST follow Chinese laws OR ELSE.
They are trying every vector of influence. Maybe they're trying to work up to a board seat. That would give them strategic and operational insights that would help them monitor and censor. And, position them to co-opt any China entry under a "partnership".
Also: Many Chinese are accustomed to considerable collusion and shady dealings among partners. Simply publicizing a stake could make many Chinese leery of FB, and less likely to use it politically.
Aren't they a corporation? What other interest would they have?
And Facebook is probably going to lose quite a few users to Google+ anyway - I can't think of anyone who would eschew Google+ for Facebook, but then suddenly quit because China invested.