GitHub to Expand Into the Chinese Market

GitHub might be going international, The Financial Times reported on December 10. Due to the continuous increase in the number of Chinese developers, China has become the largest market for GitHub outside the United States.

GitHub, the world’s largest repository of open-source software, provides vital digital infrastructure on which much of the multibillion-dollar software business depends. Microsoft spent $7.5 billion to acquire the company in June 2018. As the use of Chinese services has grown, entering the Chinese market is the next inevitable development direction for GitHub.

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The company COO Erica Brescia said in an interview that the current idea of entering the Chinese market has been positively acknowledged by the Chinese government. In an interview with the Financial Times, she added that Beijing was “very encouraging” of the company’s plans to expand in China.

Brescia said that GitHub planned to open a “wholly foreign-owned subsidiary in China for the purposes of hiring staff, starting with a general manager” before exploring “joint ventures and the possibility of hosting GitHub content in China.”

Additionally, Chinese developers are allegedly worried that they could lose access to GitHub due to US export restrictions, which would be counterproductive for a platform specifically designed to offer people easy, continuous access to technical projects.

China contributes a significant portion of GitHub’s revenue and losing access due to political trade tensions might not be worth the risk.

If you want to explore China’s tech ecosystem but don’t know where to start, check out DecodeChina, a one-week immersion program organized by insiders from Pandaily. The latest installment will take place in Beijing and Shenzhen on January 13-19, 2020. Visit decode.pandaily.com to apply and secure a spot!