Will LinkedIn Scale China's Great Firewall?

A test of the exportability of social networks across cultures is about to run as Linkedin reportedly prepares to expand into China.

“They’re spending a lot to dominate the world,” said CNBC’s Jim Cramer. “Moving into China is a gigantic game-changer for them, it’s like Coach going in there with handbags.” LinkedIn offers mobile and iPad apps in China, where four out of five of the country’s 591 million internet users access through smartphones. LinkedIn competitors abound in China, though, including Tianji, which claims 15 million users, while LinkedIn has quietly amassed 4 million subscribers, equivalent to its penetration in Australia.