Facebook to recruit employees in China next year, CEO says in Mandarin

Screenshot of the video clip of the interview.

(ECNS) -- Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg conducted his first ever public interview in Mandarin at China's Tsinghua University on Wednesday, where he revealed that Facebook would recruit employees in China next year.

Zuckerberg, in a grey T-shirt and blue jeans, spoke entirely in Mandarin during a 30-minute Q&A session at the university's School of Economics and Management on Wednesday afternoon.

Facebook recruited 20 Chinese students last month, and they would seek new recruits in the country next year, the 30-year-old said.

Asked about Facebook's plans in China, Zuckerberg responded: "We're already in China."

He also noted that the social media giant has already helped some Chinese companies gain customers abroad. He cited computer maker Lenovo's ads on Facebook in Indonesia. "I want to help different places in the world connect to China," and "share Chinese culture," he added.

The billionaire computer programmer lauded several Chinese creative companies such as Xiaomi, Tencent, and Taobao.

Zuckerberg said one of the reasons he wanted to learn Chinese was to communicate with members of his wife Priscilla's family, as her grandma only spoke Mandarin.

When asked what his hobbies were outside of Facebook, Zuckerberg said he had no time for anything other than work.

The school on Monday announced the appointment of Zuckerberg, along with IBM Chief Executive Virginia Rometty and Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Carlos Brito, to its advisory board.

A report in July said Facebook plans to open an office in Beijing and had already rented a suitable space within a business district tower.