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Gallup Survey Ranks SINA the Most Popular Website in China
21/4/01



An independent study on Internet usage in China Internet usage by Gallup (China) Research Ltd., a subsidiary of The Gallup Organization, and ccidnet.com, a leading IT information provider in China, has ranked SINA as China's most popular website.

These findings reinforce those of iamasia's most recent February 2001 survey, which also ranked SINA as China's leading website and Greater China's number one Chinese Web property.

The Gallup survey ranked SINA number one in two categories: site visitation and top of mind awareness. Just under a quarter (22%) of respondents listed SINA as their most visited site, followed by Sohu and Netease at 16% and 10%, respectively. As for top of mind awareness, 25% of respondents mentioned SINA, versus 17% and 11% for Sohu and Netease.

SINA is a leading Internet media and services company for Chinese communities worldwide, offering online news, entertainment, community and e-commerce. A popular destination site for the world's largest population group, SINA offers a Chinese-language network of four localised websites that are produced and updated daily by local teams in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and North America. SINA enjoyed 1.5 billion pageviews for the month of December 2000, as audited by ABC Interactive, and had 16 million registered users at the end of the same month.

The study focused on Internet attitudes and usage among over 2000 Internet and non-Internet users residing in China's major cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. In addition to revealing popular Internet activities, survey results demonstrated the growing impact of online media among an ever-widening demographic base.

Almost 80% of survey respondents noted that the Internet has become a vital part of their lives. While the profile of a typical Internet user has been male, young, and mid to high income, the Web is increasingly becoming a medium for all. Women now compose 37% of Internet users in China. In addition, ten percent of all Internet users are over the age of 35. Not only are more pockets of the Chinese population getting online, they are also accessing the Web through a variety of devices. 98% use a personal computer to get online, 24% use laptops and 4% use WAP-enabled devices.

According to SINA's CEO, Wang Zhidong, the explosive growth of Internet usage in China and its impending accession into the WTO will be two crucial drivers of China's Internet economy. "China's Internet population of 22.5 million has doubled in just one year and continues to grow at a swift pace. The dominant role played by SINA in this rapidly growing market is a strong advantage for both domestic and international businesses."