"On Wednesday, the search company will open its advertising service, called AdWords, in two dialects of Chinese: simplified and traditional." "Sohu.com, the top portal in China, reported last week advertising revenue in the fourth quarter of US$9.5 million, a 120 percent rise from the same period in 2002. The company derives ad revenue partly from sponsored search listings that are Google's specialty. Sohu said that its improving sales were thanks to recognition among advertisers that the Internet is "a mainstream media and entertainment platform in China," Sohu CEO Charles Zhang said. The company also reported net income of US$11.6 million."

"Overture Services, Google's chief rival in the United States, does not offer ad support in China yet."
(from News.com)

Google again beats Overture to the punch.