Snapchat's parent company Snap Inc. has reportedly built a research and development team in mainland China.
Though users are not able to visit or use the U.S.-based Snapchat from mainland China, it apparently does not affect the company's determination to explore the Chinese market.
Snap's esearch and development office in Shenzhen focuses on the development related to its Spectacles smart sunglasses. This office currently has about 20 employees.
Spectacles feature a hidden camera which can automatically shoot a 10-second video with one press and shoot a 20-second video with two consecutive presses. The videos can be uploaded directly to the Memories area within the Snapchat App.
Chinese technology companies are also interested in the businesses of Snap. Tencent invested in Snap in 2013 and Alibaba invested USD200 million into this company in 2015.