US-based social networking company in discussions to lease space in Beijing

Facebook Inc is taking steps to open a sales office in China to work with local advertisers, according to people with knowledge of the matter, in a move that would put the social network's employees in the country for the first time, even as its service remains censored there.

Facebook could open an office in China within a year to serve a growing set of customers in the country, said a person with knowledge of the situation, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Facebook is in discussions to lease space in Beijing's Fortune Financial Center, located in the city's central business district, according to other people familiar with the matter. The company hasn't decided whether to hire contractors or full-time employees for a sales office, which would require an operating license, said another person with knowledge of the situation.