The U.S. social network company Facebook Inc said it is beefing up efforts in learning more about China and focusing on helping Chinese businesses expand to new overseas markets on its ad platform.
The announcement came after foreign media reported over the weekend that Facebook authorized a local Chinese firm to launch a photo-sharing application in the country in May. Facebook's social media platform is not accessible in the Chinese mainland.
"We have long said that we are interested in China, and are spending time understanding and learning more about the country in different ways. Our focus right now is on helping Chinese businesses and developers expand to new markets outside China by using our ad platform," a Facebook spokesperson told the Global Times on Monday.
The app, called Colorful Balloons, is similar to Facebook's Moments application in function and feel, but does not carry the Facebook name, the New York Times reported, citing a person with knowledge of the company's plans.
The app was released in China by a company called Youge Internet Technology, according to information in Apple's app store.
Youge could not be reached for comment by the Global Times as of press time.
