It may be blocked in China, but Facebook is preparing to step up its presence in the country, opening of a sales office to work with advertisers.

Classified Intelligence Report’s Don Gasper (www.aimgroup.com) says that while admitting to past mistakes in its strategy and says that it is now investing heavily in mobile technology.

Vice president Vaughan Smith told the Global Mobile Internet Conference in Beijing that although Facebook penetration in China was low – the service has been blocked by authorities since 2009 –this had not prevented it from developing other strands of its business.

It had been working quietly with exporters, selling them advertising opportunities to help them reach potential customers abroad, he says: “We have a rapidly growing business helping exporters.”

Earlier Facebook’s Hong Kong-based head of Greater China had told of Chinese company Wholesale-dress.net, which had decided to use the social network to get known internationally.

Smith mentioned another: Chinese mobile social gaming company FunPlus, which claims the highest retention rate for one of its games. “Today, our sales team in Hong Kong is supporting these Chinese businesses, but because of the rapid growth these businesses are achieving by using Facebook, we are of course exploring ways that we can provide even more support locally and may consider having a sales office in China in the future,” Smith said later.

No announcement has been made of when the China office will open, but it is understood it could be within a year.

Classified Intelligence Report’s Gasper says Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg met Cai Mingzhao, head of China’s state council information office – responsible for regulating the internet – last September. The meeting followed an unofficial visit by cofounder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.