Sina.com Partners with China Telecom to Increase Usage throughout China - Brief Article

Information Superhighways Newsletter, Nov, 2000

Sina.com announced that it will collaborate with China Telecom in the latter's Home On-Line campaign to promote widespread Internet usage throughout the world's most populated nation. The partnership brings two of China's largest information technology companies together to spur the growth of the Internet industry in China and solidify the infrastructure for this nascent market.

Through the Home On-Line campaign, Sina and China Telecom will distribute over 10 million CD-ROMs offering free on-line connectivity to families across China. Both companies will work with Sinohome, a Chinese e-commerce and Internet solution provider engaged in long-term outsourcing partnerships with China Telecom's Home On-Line campaign. Sina will provide the recommended browser, Sina Plus, for all CD-ROMs being distributed. In addition, Sina will bundle Sina e-mail, Sina Ticker news delivery feed, and Sina Pager service with the CD-ROMs, to be distributed at China Telecom's 4,000 centers in China.

Commonly recognized by individual users and independent third party sources as the most popular Web site in China, Sina has been a major force in forwarding Internet initiatives across China. China Telecom is the largest telecommunications carrier in China, and offers telephone service to over 130 million fixed-line customers across the country. With trade and e-commerce expected to surge as China approaches its entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), Sina and China Telecom are leading the industry in fostering Internet growth.

"The Internet will become a major force in delivering goods, services, and information to the Chinese people as China's participation in the global economy increases," said Wang Zhidong, CEO of Sina.com. "By bringing the Internet and Sina to millions of new Internet users through China Telecom's Home On-Line campaign, we are pushing forward China's Internet development and solidifying the infrastructure for on-line commerce. Sina's strategic partnership with China Telecom reflects our continued commitment to develop China's New Economy in order to provide a marketplace where businesses and citizens can take advantage of a new world of opportunities and benefits."

In addition to offering widespread Internet and content services, Sina continues to play an active role in developing infrastructure in China's Internet market. Currently, Sina is sponsoring an Interactive Internet Solutions series with Microsoft, Intel, and Great Wall Computers, a computer and hardware provider in China, to guide China's emerging dot com companies in their development.

"Like Sina, we believe the Internet will transform daily life for the better," said Yang Baosheng, deputy director of the data communication bureau at China Telecom. "We are very glad to establish along-term strategic relationship with an influential Internet company such as Sina. We look forward to working with Sina to provide the telecommunications infrastructure needed to connect all citizens of our nation with the wonders and opportunities brought about by the Internet age."