Hospitality exchange service Airbnb announced to appoint Ge Hong as new global vice president of Airbnb and he will be fully responsible for Airbnb's China business.

Airbnb said that they need a candidate who knows demands of Chinese users, understands IT technologies, and is in line with the culture of Airbnb. The company says he will embody the perfect combination of his technology background and the Chinese market demands.

In his new role, Ge will directly report to Brian Chesky, global executive officer of Airbnb.

Since its entry into China in August 2015, Airbnb's China CEO position has been largely vacant. Meanwhile, it is particularly important for the company to have a localized team.

Chesky once said in a speech in China in March 2017 that China is one of the most important markets for Airbnb and it is also one of the fastest growing countries. He also said localization is the key for Airbnb's success in China.

Airbnb has significantly accelerated its localization process in China. The company announced its new Chinese name in March and launched new service named Trips in Shanghai. So far, Airbnb's China local team scale has been tripled and the company will develop new products targeting China in the future.