Twitter boss suggests China rollout

Jack Dorsey, the creator of microblogging phenomenon Twitter, has indicated that the firm will release a version in China eventually, according to reports.

During a panel discussion on social media and digital activism at the Paley Centre in New York, Dorsey was put on the spot by Chinese activist Ai Weiwei and asked when the site would be available in his home country.

"I need a clear answer, yes or no," Weiwei is reported as asking Dorsey. The Twitter co-founder, who was participating via a satellite link, responded, "I would say yes. It's just a matter of time."

According to an Associated Press report, Dorsey cited limited staff and technical constraints as the main obstacles in the firm's efforts to set up a Chinese registration page.

However, with the service currently banned in the country, Twitter's management team is likely to have more significant obstacles to overcome than these if it wants to launch in the country.

Up until now, the firm has been adamant it will not bow to the kinds of strict censorship laws enforced in China and Iran. In January, Twitter chief executive Evan Williams was even reported as saying the site was trying to circumvent government censorship thanks to the wide range of distribution streams on which it can run.