LinkedIn, on May 8, announced closing down its last service available in China, citing “fierce competition and a challenging macroeconomic climate”.

Microsoft-owned LinkedIn was one of the few US technology companies to successfully operate a social media site in China, where the internet is heavily regulated and censored.

The company had introduced a unique domestic version of the career networking platform operated locally to comply.

In 2021, the firm suspended new sign-ups for the LinkedIn app in mainland China, which referenced a “significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China”.

According to AFP, Microsoft replaced it with a simplified version called InCareer, allowing local professionals to continue to find and apply for jobs and stay connected with their network.

“After careful consideration, we’ve made the decision to discontinue InCareer effective August 9, 2023,” LinkedIn said.

“Despite our initial progress, InCareer faced fierce competition and a challenging macroeconomic climate, which ultimately led us to the decision of discontinuing the service” in China, LinkedIn said.

An email from CEO Ryan Roslansky published online added that pulling out of China would result in “a reduction of roles for 716 employees”.

The US firm once rapidly rose in the country, benefiting from a culture of connections, or “guanxi”, in which one’s contacts and professional network are essential assets.

However, LinkedIn has been marginalised recently as innovative local apps have surged in popularity.

LinkedIn has come under fire in recent years for removing the accounts of dissidents and erasing content on sensitive issues.