Partnership Hopes Boosting The9

From Dow Jones:

"The9 Ltd.'s (NCTY) shares are up more than 40% in the past two weeks, and investors will look for confirmation this week on several rumors concerning the top-tier online game operator.

Korean game developer NCSoft recently has assumed full control of its "NC Sina" joint venture by acquiring the 51% stake held by former partner Sina Corp. (SINA). This development has, in turn, fueled speculation that NCSoft might choose The9 Ltd. to operate its popular online game "Guild Wars" in China, which would be a boon to The9.

The9 also is reportedly in discussions with Electronic Arts Inc. (ERTS) about operating EA's online casual-game platform -- pogo.com -- in China."

Blinding Science: China's Race to Innovate

From BusinessWeek:

"In Beijing, innovation is the buzzword. President Hu Jintao set the tone in January with his call for China to make the transition from a manufacturing-based economy to an innovation-based one. Innovation was a major theme at the recently concluded National People's Congress, with the government unveiling its latest five-year plan calling for big increases in spending to nurture innovation.

China is targeting a broad range of sectors, including some controversial areas such as stem cells, gene therapy, and genetically modified crops; and some areas that the U.S. has long dominated, including software, semiconductors, and space exploration. And China aims to become a leader in emerging technologies such as renewable energy sources ranging from solar, hydro, and wind power to fuel cells. By 2050, China intends to surpass the U.S. and become the biggest player in the world of science."

Baidu Still Dominates China's Search Market

From CRI.com:

"A report released by iResearch said that the most frequently used searching web-site in China is Baidu.com, which accounts for 56.6 percent of the total market. Google.com ranks the second with the market share being 32.8 percent.

The two web-sites in combination account for nearly 90 percent of China's on-line searching market."