Bill Gates to Launch Venus WebTV box in China

Computergram International, March 8, 1999

Microsoft Corp chairman Bill Gates will travel to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on March 10 to announce the launch of "Venus" WebTV, a new multimedia product designed by Microsoft especially for the China market. It is a television set-top box that will enable consumers to use their TV sets to link up to the Internet.

Less than 1% of the Chinese population has access to a PC, but 70% have access to a television set.