Facebook and Baidu to create a new social network in China

Facebook and Chinese search company Baidu have formed a deal to create a new social network in China, according to reports.

Reports from Sohu.com revealed Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Baidu CEO Robin Li had reached an agreement following a series of meetings over the past year.

The Chinese government blocks websites that include pornography, gambling and content critical of the ruling Communist Party, including Facebook. As a result, the site will be entirely separate to Facebook, with no international integration.

Currently neither Facebook nor Baidu has confirmed the union, but Facebook has admitted it’s evaluating China and the best way to expand there for its users and advertisers.

Facebook has also won its court case against twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, who claimed Zuckerberg had stolen the idea for building the social network when they were at university.

The twins had asked the US Court of Appeals to dissolve an agreement they already had with the social network on the grounds that Zuckerberg had provided inaccurate evidence as to the valuation of the company.

However, Facebook is now being taken to court by Paul Ceglia, who claims he has emails form 2003 that prove he was promised 50% of Facebook by Zuckerberg. Ceglia issued a complaint with a federal court in New York yesterday.