Yahoo launches Chinese-language search site as rivalry with Google heats up

Monday, June 21st 2004, 6:20 am

By: News On 6

BEIJING (AP) _ Yahoo! Inc. launched a Chinese-language search portal on Monday, following Google's lead in maneuvering for a stronger foothold in one of the world's biggest Internet markets.

The introduction of Yahoo!'s new Web site, http://www.yisou.com, follows Google's acquisition last week of a minority stake in Baidu.com Inc., China's biggest independent Internet search engine and one of Google's strongest rivals here.

``Yahoo! believes the introduction of Yisou will help extend our reach into the rapidly growing search market in China,'' David Lu, Yahoo North Asia's vice president of search and marketplace, said in a statement.

Yahoo! China, a unit of Yahoo! Inc., already has a Chinese search company, 3721, which it acquired last year for $120 million. Its Chinese Web site also offers a search function, though it appears to yield fewer results.

Google has offered Chinese-language searches since 2000 and is hugely popular among China's more than 80 million Internet users _ the world's second biggest Internet market after the United States.