香港——對微軟(Microsoft)、Facebook和谷歌(Google)等美國科技公司而言，在中國開展業(yè)務(wù)并非易事,，有時甚至是不可能完成的任務(wù),。
但有一家公司例外。社交網(wǎng)站領(lǐng)英(linkedIn)已經(jīng)找到了一種做生意的門道,，那就是愿意在言論自由——西方互聯(lián)網(wǎng)世界的基石——方面做出讓步,。
領(lǐng)英的經(jīng)驗給正竭力進(jìn)軍龐大中國市場的硅谷企業(yè)提供了一種模式，或許還敲響了警鐘,。其他一些美國科技公司正以極大的興趣關(guān)注著領(lǐng)英,，想知道該公司能否在言論自由和它愿意遵守的中國法律之間找到平衡。
“未來5年間,，那里的情況將持續(xù)改善,，因此，現(xiàn)在就在那兒占有一席之地是很重要的,。”經(jīng)紀(jì)公司Needham的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)分析師克里·賴斯(Kerry Rice)表示,。“如果領(lǐng)英想出適應(yīng)中國經(jīng)營環(huán)境的辦法，其他公司顯然會加以模仿,。”
在沒引起中國政府多少關(guān)注的情況下,，領(lǐng)英的全球性英文網(wǎng)站已經(jīng)擁有了400萬中國會員。不過,，中國約有1.4億專業(yè)工作者,，而該公司想要進(jìn)一步進(jìn)入他們的視野，于是在今年2月推出了中文版領(lǐng)英,。
這個中文網(wǎng)站已經(jīng)在中國吸收了100萬新會員,，而且似乎得到了政府的默許。目前它運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)正常,，未遭屏蔽,，而香港爆發(fā)親民主抗議活動后，中國當(dāng)局已經(jīng)封禁了Instagram和雅虎(Yahoo)等其他一些互聯(lián)網(wǎng)服務(wù),。
領(lǐng)英看似取得了成功,，其秘訣何在？除了愿意遵守中國的言論規(guī)則,，公司還將其中文網(wǎng)站7%的股份,，讓渡給了兩家頗有背景的中國風(fēng)投公司。業(yè)內(nèi)人士稱,，對于在中國尋求發(fā)展的外國互聯(lián)網(wǎng)公司而言，和本土企業(yè)建立這樣的聯(lián)系是至關(guān)重要的,。
“政府里的人需要知道他們可以給誰打電話,；而作為一家外企，你需要在自己的網(wǎng)站被屏蔽之前得到消息，那樣才有機(jī)會做點(diǎn)什么來挽救,，”博達(dá)克咨詢有限公司(BDA China)創(chuàng)始人鄧肯·克拉克(Duncan Clark)說,。這家公司為外企提供中國科技行業(yè)的咨詢服務(wù)。“擁有這樣的渠道,，是很有價值的,。”
領(lǐng)英的發(fā)言人漢尼·德爾茲(Hani Durzy)表示，公司之所以開通中文網(wǎng)站是因為“相信,，就像在世界其他地方一樣,，在中國，它所創(chuàng)造的經(jīng)濟(jì)機(jī)會能夠?qū)€人產(chǎn)生深遠(yuǎn)的影響,。”
“我們強(qiáng)烈支持言論自由,，”他還說，“但在開通中文網(wǎng)站時,，我們意識到,，必須遵守中國政府的要求，才能在這里立足,。因此,，在中國開展業(yè)務(wù)的決定經(jīng)過了我們的慎重權(quán)衡。”
領(lǐng)英使用軟件算法和人工審閱相組合的方式,，在中國境內(nèi)的中文和英文網(wǎng)站上,，對當(dāng)局認(rèn)為具有政治敏感性的內(nèi)容進(jìn)行審查。如果發(fā)布的內(nèi)容被封禁,，用戶會收到電子郵件發(fā)送的通知,，稱帖子中包含“在中國遭到禁止的內(nèi)容”，“將不會被linkedIn在中國的會員看到”,。
領(lǐng)英沒有為中文用戶提供某些重要功能,，比如創(chuàng)建或加入群組，或是張貼長篇文章,，而其他地方的用戶就可以開展公開討論,、組建社區(qū)。
雖然領(lǐng)英的戰(zhàn)略讓其接觸到了中文用戶,，但分析人士表示,，這對公司的聲譽(yù)和成長戰(zhàn)略帶來了風(fēng)險。
像很多美國高科技公司一樣,，總部設(shè)在加州山景城的領(lǐng)英也宣揚(yáng)自己擁護(hù)自由市場原則,。過多的審查可能會導(dǎo)致用戶離開。
更重要的是,，如果領(lǐng)英的業(yè)務(wù)在中國進(jìn)一步擴(kuò)大,，中國政府就可能獲得更多的砝碼,，對它在全球范圍內(nèi)可以發(fā)布哪些類型的內(nèi)容，提出要求,。
在進(jìn)入中國市場的過程中,，該公司已經(jīng)遇到了一點(diǎn)波折：一些來自其他國家的用戶，發(fā)現(xiàn)自己在中國境內(nèi)發(fā)布的英文帖子,，在全球范圍內(nèi)也遭到了屏蔽,，感到很憤怒。公司之所以采取這一類做法,，是不想讓中國用戶接觸到任何可能會引來棘手政府審查的內(nèi)容,。上個月，領(lǐng)英放寬了這項政策,，讓那些在中國被封禁的帖子可以在其他地方顯示出來,。
還有人認(rèn)為，對于領(lǐng)英是如何審查內(nèi)容的,，以及為什么要進(jìn)行審查,，它并沒有表達(dá)清楚。
例如,，在中國生活,、為媒體發(fā)表評論并進(jìn)行高科技投資的利明璋(Bill Bishop)說，自己有一次從美國聯(lián)網(wǎng)發(fā)布了關(guān)于中國的內(nèi)容,，而領(lǐng)英封禁了這則帖子,。當(dāng)他詢問原因時，公司回答說是因為他在中國發(fā)布了這條信息,，但這個回答并不準(zhǔn)確,，真正的問題是，他把自己的工作地點(diǎn)列為中國,。
其他一些科技公司權(quán)衡了在滿足中國政府的要求方面的風(fēng)險,，選擇了不同的道路。
對于中國提出的對境內(nèi)內(nèi)容進(jìn)行審查的要求,，谷歌曾經(jīng)做過讓步,，但在2010年時，該公司高調(diào)地調(diào)轉(zhuǎn)船頭,，改為從香港的服務(wù)器向中國用戶提供未經(jīng)審查的結(jié)果,，從而與中國當(dāng)局交惡至今。
Twitter已被中國封禁多年,，而公司表示,，它不會審查帖子。因為按照公司負(fù)責(zé)全球公共政策的副總裁科林·克羅韋爾(Colin Crowell)的說法,，這樣做會“犧牲這個平臺的原則”,。
Vine是Twitter旗下的短視頻服務(wù),。克羅韋爾說,，它在中國自由運(yùn)作，沒有“任何特別安排”,。
雖然全球月度用戶約13億的頭號社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)Facebook在中國遭到屏蔽,，但它仍未放棄進(jìn)入中國。不過它正試圖用商業(yè)來撬開中國的大門,，向希望接觸海外消費(fèi)者的中國企業(yè)和政府機(jī)構(gòu)出售廣告,。
Facebook還在對Instagram的經(jīng)驗進(jìn)行研究。Instagram是Facebook旗下單獨(dú)運(yùn)營的圖片分享應(yīng)用,，其業(yè)務(wù)增長十分迅速,，只是偶爾會被中國政府屏蔽。
“我們認(rèn)為這是個激動人心的機(jī)遇,，”公司亞太地區(qū)副總裁丹·內(nèi)亞里(Dan Neary)在聲明中稱,。
分析人士說，領(lǐng)英已經(jīng)做好了讓北京接受自己的準(zhǔn)備,，因為它可以搬出這條理由：它提高了就業(yè)市場的效率,，最終必將刺激經(jīng)濟(jì)增長。中國的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)管理者經(jīng)常說,，發(fā)展網(wǎng)絡(luò)的主要目標(biāo)應(yīng)該是促進(jìn)經(jīng)濟(jì)增長,。
中國封閉的市場為四家中國本土企業(yè)提供了一個有利的開端。這四家在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)行業(yè)占主導(dǎo)地位的公司分別是：電商領(lǐng)域的阿里巴巴,、搜索領(lǐng)域的百度,、電腦游戲和即時通訊領(lǐng)域的騰訊，以及社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)領(lǐng)域的新浪,。
在中國,，領(lǐng)英還面臨著智聯(lián)招聘和前程無憂等當(dāng)?shù)馗偁帉κ值母偁帲@兩家公司都在中國擁有更多用戶,。
領(lǐng)英與兩家當(dāng)?shù)毓?mdash;—中國寬帶產(chǎn)業(yè)基金和美國風(fēng)投公司紅杉資本(Sequoia Capital)的中國子公司——的合作關(guān)系,，幫它處理了公司與政府官員之間的關(guān)系。
中國寬帶產(chǎn)業(yè)基金由田溯寧創(chuàng)立,，他是一位關(guān)系網(wǎng)強(qiáng)大的投資者,，以前是一名企業(yè)家，曾與前中國國家主席江澤民的兒子共同運(yùn)營一家通訊公司,。該公司至少還幫過一家硅谷公司印象筆記(Evernote)進(jìn)入中國,。
“Facebook和Twitter等公司有很多問題，”中國寬帶產(chǎn)業(yè)基金發(fā)言人王志飏說,。“我們認(rèn)為,，關(guān)鍵原因之一,，是這些公司和中國政府之間缺少溝通，甚至沒有溝通,。”
本土合作伙伴有幫助領(lǐng)英獲得成功的強(qiáng)烈動力,。根據(jù)合作協(xié)議，如果滿足了特定的條件,，它們能以2000萬美元（約合1.23億元人民幣）的價格,，額外購買這家合資企業(yè)20%的股份。
領(lǐng)英的確保持著對該企業(yè)的控制,，確保自己享有大部分利潤,，也承擔(dān)著大部分風(fēng)險。
根據(jù)中國的法律,，為了繼續(xù)運(yùn)營,，這家合資企業(yè)最終需要獲得互聯(lián)網(wǎng)內(nèi)容提供商執(zhí)照。該執(zhí)照會帶來一些好處,，但也有一些不利的方面,。一旦獲得執(zhí)照，該公司將被要求存儲有關(guān)中國境內(nèi)的中國用戶的信息,。
這么做會讓政府更容易要求獲取使用該服務(wù)的異見人士等的信息,。近十年前，正是這個難題絆倒了雅虎,，促使該公司基本上退出了中國,。
盡管面臨這些挑戰(zhàn)，領(lǐng)英依然對其在中國的行動持樂觀態(tài)度,。
“最后,，我們最重要的考慮因素，是為中國數(shù)百萬專業(yè)人士提供機(jī)會,，大幅增加他們的經(jīng)濟(jì)機(jī)遇,，”領(lǐng)英發(fā)言人德爾茲說。“我們希望在中國一切順利,，因此我們將繼續(xù)聽取意見并學(xué)習(xí),。” But one company, the social network linkedIn, has found a way to do business — by being willing to compromise on the free expression that is the backbone of life on the Western Internet.
linkedIn’s experience provides a blueprint, and perhaps a cautionary lesson, for Silicon Valley as it tries to crack the vast Chinese market. Other American tech companies are watching with great interest, wondering whether linkedIn will find an equilibrium between free speech and Chinese law that it can live with.
“Over the next five years, things will continue to progress in a positive fashion over there, so it’s important to be there today,” said Kerry Rice, an Internet analyst at Needham, a brokerage firm. “If linkedIn figures out how to navigate the operating environment in China, clearly other companies will try to imitate that.”
linkedIn’s global English-language site has attracted four million Chinese members without gaining much attention from the Chinese government. But the company wanted to reach more of China’s estimated 140 million professional workers, and so in February it introduced a Chinese-language version.
The Chinese-language site has attracted about a million new members and seems to have the tacit approval of the government. It is functioning without blockages even though the authorities have cracked down on other Internet services, including Instagram and Yahoo, in reaction to the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
The secret to linkedIn’s seeming success? Aside from its willingness to play by Chinese rules on expression, the company has relinquished 7 percent of its local operation to two well-connected Chinese venture capital firms. Having such a relationship with homegrown firms is crucial for foreign web companies seeking to operate in China, experts say.
“The government needs to know who they can call, and as a foreign company you need to know before your site gets shut down so you have a chance to do something about it,” said Duncan Clark, founder of BDA China, a consulting firm that advises foreign companies on China’s tech sector. “That’s worth a lot, to have that channel.”
A spokesman for linkedIn, Hani Durzy, said the company opened a Chinese-language site because of its “belief that the creation of economic opportunity can have a profound impact on the lives of Chinese individuals, much as it has elsewher in the world.”
“While we strongly support freedom of expression,” he added, “we recognized when we launched that we would need to adhere to the requirements of the Chinese government in order to operate in China. So the decision to proceed in China was one that we weighed heavily.”
On the Chinese- and English-language sites in China, the company censors content that the authorities consider politically sensitive, using a combination of software algorithms and human reviewers. People whose posts are blocked get an emailed form letter advising them that a posted item contains “content prohibited in China” and “will not be seen by linkedIn members located in China.”
linkedIn also does not provide Chinese-language users certain important tools — like the ability to create or join groups or to post long essays — that allow people elsewher to have public discussions and form communities.
Although linkedIn’s strategy has given it access to Chinese speakers, analysts say it poses risks for the company’s reputation and growth strategy.
Like many American tech companies, linkedIn, which is based in Mountain View, Calif., has promoted itself as dedicated to free-market principles. Too much censorship could cause users to flee.
What’s more, if linkedIn’s business grows larger in China, that could give the government more leverage to make demands about what type of content is permissible globally.
The company has already stumbled a bit in its entry into the Chinese market. It angered some non-Chinese customers, who found that posts they made in English while in China were blocked globally as part of the company’s effort to protect its Chinese users from anything that could attract unwanted government scrutiny. linkedIn moved to loosen its policy last month, allowing posts blocked in China to be seen elsewher.
Some also say linkedIn has not communicated clearly how and why it is censoring content.
For example, Bill Bishop, a media commentator and tech investor in China, said content he posted about China from a connection in the United States was blocked by the service. When he inquired why, the company inaccurately responded that it was because he had posted the item from China, when the real problem was that he had listed China as his work location.
Other tech companies have weighed the risks of trying to satisfy the Chinese government and taken a different approach.
Google, which once acceded to China’s demands to censor content in the country, noisily reversed course in 2010, moving to deliver uncensored results to Chinese users from servers in Hong Kong and souring its relationship with the authorities to this day.
Twitter has been blocked in China for years and says it will not censor posts because to do so would “sacrifice the principles of the platform,” according to Colin Crowell, the company’s vice president for global public policy.
Vine, a short-video service owned by Twitter, operates freely in China without “any special arrangement,” Mr. Crowell said.
Although Facebook — the world’s largest social network, with about 1.3 billion monthly users worldwide — is blocked in China, it hasn’t given up on getting in the country. But it is trying to use commerce to pry open the door, selling ads to Chinese companies and government organizations that want to reach consumers outside China.
Facebook is also studying the experience of Instagram, its separately operated photo-sharing app, which is growing quickly with only occasional blockages by the Chinese government.
“We think this is an exciting opportunity,” Dan Neary, the company’s vice president for Asia and the Pacific, said in a statement.
Analysts say linkedIn is well positioned to be acceptable to Beijing because it can argue that it makes the employment market more efficient, ultimately spurring the economy. China’s Internet regulators often argue that the main goal of development of the Internet should be to bolster economic growth.
China’s closed markets have given a huge head start to four homegrown companies, which dominate the Internet there: Alibaba in e-commerce, Baidu in search, Tencent in video gaming and instant messaging and Sina in social networking.
linkedIn itself faces competition from local rivals like Zhaopin and 51Jobs.com, which both have more users than it does in China.
linkedIn’s partnership with two local players — China Broadband Capital and a Chinese affiliate of Sequoia Capital, an American venture capital firm — has helped it manage its relationship with government officials.
C.B.C. was founded by Edward Tian, a well-connected investor and former entrepreneur who once ran a telecommunications company with the son of a former Chinese president, Jiang Zemin. The company has helped bring at least one other Silicon Valley company, Evernote, into China.
“There have been a lot of problems with companies like Facebook and Twitter,” said Kevin Wang, a C.B.C. spokesman. “We think one of the key reasons is the lack of communication, even the absence of communication, between these companies and the Chinese government.”
The local partners have a strong incentive to help linkedIn succeed. Under the partnership agreement, they can buy an additional 21 percent of the joint venture for $20 million if certain conditions are met.
linkedIn does retain control of the venture, securing the bulk of the profit as well as the risk.
Under Chinese law, the joint venture will eventually need to obtain an Internet content provider’s license to keep operating. The license has some benefits, but also some downsides; once granted, the company will be required to store information about its Chinese users in China.
Doing so would make it much easier for the government to demand information on, say, dissidents who use the service — a conundrum that tripped up Yahoo nearly a decade ago and prompted that company to essentially pull out of the country.
Despite the challenges, linkedIn is optimistic about its efforts in China.
“In the end, the most important consideration for us was providing an opportunity for millions of Chinese professionals to significantly expand their economic opportunities,” said Mr. Durzy, the linkedIn spokesman. “We want to get it right in China, so we will continue to listen and learn."(更多資訊請關(guān)注中國進(jìn)出口網(wǎng))