HOU MINGJUAN

China's Internet browser stage will no longer be occupied only by two US actors - Microsoft and Netscape, as the country has developed its own Internet browser.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Hong Kong-based Internet company PCCW-HKT, the merged conglomerate of Pacific Century Cyber Works and Hong Kong Telecom, jointly invested 100 million yuan (US$12 million) in the research and development of the world's first English-Chinese bilingual Internet browser.

PCCW-HKT controls 51 per cent of the newly established joint venture, while CAS controls the other 49 per cent.

"Our target is to grab back the browser market, which is totally controlled by Microsoft and Netscape," said the browser company in a statement.

The company expects the home-made browser to become the dominant player in China and help further drive the development of the Internet in the country.

Language is one of the major barriers in the development of the Internet in China, as most websites are in English.

The new bilingual Internet browser that will soon be launched by the joint venture - the Cyber Trans Science and Technology Development Co Ltd - provides automatic translation between English and Chinese as well as the ordinary functions of other Internet browsers.