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In 2015, during a high-profile White House dinner hosted by former U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a surprising request to Chinese President Xi Jinping. At the time, Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, were expecting their first daughter, Maxima, who was born in December of that year.
According to the memoir Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former Facebook executive, Zuckerberg asked President Xi if he would give his unborn daughter an honorary Chinese name. However, the Chinese leader politely turned down the request, stating that it was “too much responsibility,” as reported by Page Six.
Zuckerberg’s Long-Standing Interest in China
The memoir also explores Zuckerberg’s long-standing efforts to build stronger ties with China. Wynn-Williams describes China as the Meta CEO’s “white whale” – something he desperately wanted to conquer but was never able to.
Despite multiple attempts to break into the Chinese tech market, Zuckerberg faced strong resistance due to the country’s strict censorship policies. Platforms like WeChat and Weibo dominated China’s social media space, leaving little room for Facebook to expand.
Facebook’s Controversial Attempts to Enter China
Wynn-Williams revealed in her book that Facebook even compromised user privacy in its efforts to establish a presence in China. The company reportedly offered to help the Chinese government censor viral content as part of its strategy to gain favor.
“What was even more concerning was they went ahead and installed those virality counters in Hong Kong and in Taiwan,” Wynn-Williams said, indicating how Facebook attempted to implement monitoring systems to align with China’s content regulations.
A Failed Meeting at the 2016 APEC Summit
The book also details how Wynn-Williams once tried to arrange a “spontaneous encounter” between Zuckerberg and President Xi at the 2016 APEC summit in Lima, Peru. She planned for Zuckerberg’s dressing room to be placed next to Xi’s and even prepared a keynote speech for him, hoping for an interaction.
However, the plan did not succeed. Wynn-Williams described the scene where a large group of men in identical gray uniforms marched in strict formation past Zuckerberg, blocking any chance of contact with Xi. “Mark stares in disbelief, mouth open. They just keep coming, dozens and dozens of them. It’s almost comical. Just when you think there could not be anymore, step in,” she wrote, as quoted by Business Insider.
She added that Xi was “so obscured” by his security detail that he never even made eye contact with Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg’s Ongoing Struggles with China
Despite years of effort, Zuckerberg never managed to establish a major presence for Facebook in China. The country’s strict internet regulations and its preference for domestic tech giants have kept Western companies like Meta at bay.
While Zuckerberg’s interest in China has been evident through his multiple attempts at engagement, including learning Mandarin, his efforts have largely been unsuccessful. The rejection from President Xi and the failed meeting at the APEC summit are just two examples of how China has remained an elusive market for the tech billionaire.
