UNICEF launches global web site in Chinese

New York/Beijing, 15 January 2007 –  UNICEF launched its Chinese-language web site today bringing information about HIV/AIDS prevention, girls' education, avian flu, child protection and other related issues to more than 2140 million Chinese internet users worldwide.

In addition to information about UNICEF programmes in China, the web site also grants users access to video reports, press materials and news stories from around the globe.

The launch of the web site is particularly timely given the rapid increase in the number of Chinese-speaking internet users. Over the past years usage rates have quadrupled. Indeed, Chinese-speaking internet users now make up more than 13 percent of the world's one billion internet users.

The debut of the Chinese web site marks the fifth in a series of UNICEF global language web sites, joining Arabic, English, French and Spanish. There are 120 million internet users in China alone, where UNICEF continues to run programmes to fight infant and maternal mortality, under-nutrition and HIV/AIDS as well as programme protecting street children, migrant children and those from ethnic minority groups.

"It is important for us to reach out to the fastest growing group of internet users to help them understand the challenges facing children," said Stephen Cassidy, UNICEF's Chief of Internet, Broadcast and Image section.