Dive Brief:

• Twitter is planning to open an office in Hong Kong in early 2015, even though the site is blocked by the Chinese government. 
• The social site hopes to help Chinese brands expand globally like Alibaba, Lenovo, and smartphone makers Xiaomi and Huawei. 
• Social sites that are allowed in China aren't helpful to brands trying to reach consumers. So many brands are interested in expanding to Western sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google to reach consumers outside of China. 

Dive Insight: 

Making Hong Kong Twitter's Chinese outpost was a smart move, given that the island isn't affected by the massive firewall on the mainland. With cultural and language barriers, having a Hong Kong office will help build a bridge for Chinese brands to expand globally. While there is "not much to lose for Twitter" by expanding to China, "the question is whether they will be able to offer something to gain to mainland Chinese brands," said Shann Biglione, head of strategy for ZenithOptimedia in China.