ANKARA

LinkedIn said Thursday it will close operations in China but will launch a new jobs app for the country.

"We recognized that operating a localized version of LinkedIn in China would mean adherence to requirements of the Chinese government on Internet platforms," the US-based business and employment online service provider said in its official blog.

"We’re also facing a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China," it added.

Amid tight control by Beijing on the internet, LinkedIn has become the last major US-based social network to leave China. While Google left in 2010, Facebook and Twitter have been blocked for more than a decade.

"Our new strategy for China is to put our focus on helping China-based professionals find jobs in China and Chinese companies find quality candidates," it said.

"Later this year, we will launch InJobs, a new, standalone jobs application for China. InJobs will not include a social feed or the ability to share posts or articles," it added.