America Online on Monday said it has launched a public test of a Chinese-language version of its U.S. Web site to court Chinese Americans, offering features that in some ways are more ambitious than its main U.S. site.
The new site targets an estimated 2.7 million Chinese Americans and offers full-length features and episodes of TV series from China, viewable directly off the site. AOL’s main U.S. site plans to offer vintage TV shows, but does not offer full length movies…
A spokeswoman said AOL planned to focus on its U.S.-based target audience and has not announced intentions to re-enter the China market.
The company, which has over 25.5 million subscribers in the United States and Europe, announced a joint venture with Chinese PC manufacturer Legend Holdings in June 2001 to court China’s growing market, which it abandoned a year later.
By 2004, Jonathan Miller, chief executive of AOL told Reuters at the time the company was in discussions to enter the Chinese market again.
