In her memoir "Careless People," Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former Facebook executive, recounts an incident during the 2016 APEC summit in Lima, Peru. She describes how Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, attempted to arrange a spontaneous meeting with China’s leader, Xi Jinping. Despite meticulous planning, including securing adjacent dressing rooms and scheduling consecutive speeches, the encounter never materialized. Xi was surrounded by a formidable security detail that created a human barrier, preventing any direct interaction between the two leaders. This article explores the background of this event and its implications for Facebook's ambitions in China.

Zuckerberg's Strategic Efforts Thwarted by Security Protocols

The memoir highlights the strategic efforts made by Zuckerberg and his team to facilitate a brief but significant meeting with Xi Jinping. They meticulously planned every detail, from room assignments to speech schedules, aiming to create a natural setting for a conversation. However, the Chinese leader's extensive security measures thwarted these plans, leaving Zuckerberg in disbelief as he watched the formation of an impenetrable human wall.

Wynn-Williams vividly describes the scene where Zuckerberg found himself facing a relentless line of uniformed men, moving in perfect formation. The sheer number of security personnel effectively blocked any possibility of eye contact or spontaneous interaction. According to Wynn-Williams, this moment was both surreal and disheartening, symbolizing the broader challenges Facebook faced in trying to penetrate the Chinese market. The security detail dispersed only after Xi entered his dressing room, confirming that no informal meeting would occur. Zuckerberg reportedly told his staff that their hoped-for encounter would not happen, highlighting the stringent protocols surrounding high-level Chinese officials.

Facebook's Ambitions and Challenges in China

Beyond the immediate incident at the APEC summit, the memoir sheds light on Facebook's broader aspirations and hurdles in entering the Chinese market. Wynn-Williams reveals that Facebook considered making significant concessions to gain access, including allowing Beijing to control content displayed on the platform. This willingness to adapt underscores the company's commitment to expanding its global reach, despite the ethical dilemmas involved.

The book also touches on previous encounters between Zuckerberg and Xi, such as their brief meeting in Seattle in 2015 and another at Tsinghua University in 2017. These interactions, though limited, were seen as potential stepping stones for Facebook's entry into China. However, the company ultimately decided against pursuing these strategies, citing irreconcilable differences over censorship and content control. In 2019, Zuckerberg publicly stated that while he believed in connecting the world, the inability to agree on operational terms prevented Facebook from operating within China. Today, Meta's services remain blocked behind China's Great Firewall, while Chinese social media platforms like WeChat and Douyin thrive independently. This decision reflects the complex balance between global expansion and maintaining core principles, a challenge that continues to shape the tech industry's approach to the Chinese market.