SINA.com Press Center

0419

SINA Rolls Out First SINA Online (SOL) Service in China Via Strategic Alliance with Leading ISP Net263
***
The Service is Expected to Cover Major Internet Markets in China Including Beijing, Shanghai, and Other Major Cities

BEIJING, Apr 18, 2002 -- SINA (Nasdaq: SINA), a leading Chinese media and Internet services company, today rolled out its first SINA Online (SOL) service in China via strategic alliance with Net263 Group, a leading domestic telecom value added operator and Internet Service Provider (ISP). The service, a one-stop solution combining content and access for the end users, is expected to cover major Internet markets in China including Beijing, Shanghai, and other major cities.

SINA and Net263 Group, two erstwhile competitors, who played significant roles in the development of China's Internet market, today joined force in a strategic alliance that leveraged SINA's brand and content with Net263's value added telecom platform. Under this cooperation agreement, SINA will provide marketing, promotion and brand - SOL - as well as content while Net263 will provide backend telecom platform for the service. In particular, users of SOL will be able to enjoy premium content, web features and discounts that will not be available to the free web users of SINA and other web sites. SINA and Net263 will share revenues generated through SOL.

"SINA's cooperation with Net263 creates a precedent of cooperation between leading Internet companies and provides a new business model for the Internet industry", said Daniel Mao, Chief Executive Officer of SINA. "As the industry continues to develop, leading players are increasingly focusing on leveraging their core competences to form strategic partnerships to supply better products and services to customers and greater profitability to respective partners. We expect to form other similar complimentary partnerships under our SOL, SINA.net and SINA.com platforms in the near future."

"Net263 has always been focusing on Internet access service. As a leading value added telecom operator, we will continue providing our customers with the best Internet infrastructure. Simultaneously, we're constantly looking to add new features, applications and services through partnerships with other Internet companies." said Li Xiaolong, CEO of Net263 Group. "Net263's cooperation with SINA in SOL takes advantage of each company's strengths and resources. This is not only good news for the growth of the two companies, but will also benefit our customers with more diversified and better services. As the Internet industry develops, new value chain within the industry will gradually take shape. As a result, the reconstruction, cooperation and specialization among leading players will become the inevitable trend in the future development of our industry."

About SINA

SINA.com is a leading Chinese media and Internet services company for Chinese communities worldwide, offering on-line news, entertainment, community and e-commerce. A popular destination site for the world's largest population group, SINA.com offers a Chinese-language network of four localized Web sites that are produced and updated daily by local teams in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and North America. To learn more about SINA, visit the company's corporate site at http://www.sina.com/corp/, or regional sites at http://www.sina.com, http://www.sina.com.cn, http://sina.com.hk and http://www.sina.com.tw.

Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements. We may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in our periodic reports to the Securities and Exchange commission on forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, etc., in our annual report to shareholders, in our proxy statements, in our offering circulars and prospectuses, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by our officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current plans, estimates and projections, and therefore you should not place undue reliance on them. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, SINA historical and future losses, limited operating history, uncertain regulatory landscape in the People's Republic of China, fluctuations in quarterly operating results, the Company's reliance on online advertising sales for a significant portion of its revenues, and any failure to successfully develop and introduce new products. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in SINA's prospectus, 10K, 10Q and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.