scene of the signing ceremony

Hong Hao, director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination

Ma Huateng, board chairman and chief executive officer of Tencent Holdings Limited

Tencent Inc will take charge of the operation and maintenance of Expo Shanghai Online, a brand-new program in Expo's 150-year-plus history, and provide Internet-related services to Expo 2010, after it signed a deal with the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination Mar 4.

Tencent Inc, China's No.1 instant messenger service provider with its chat program QQ and a leading domestic Web portal, will set up and develop online interactive platforms, e-business platforms and a virtual community for the grand event in 2010.

It will also be responsible for online promotion of World Expo Shanghai 2010 and operation and exploration of Shanghai-Expo-related Websites and will help partners of Shanghai Expo to carry out brand promotion through the Internet platform.

The Expo Shanghai Online program will operate alongside traditional pavilions. Such an initiative has never been adopted by countries which had hosted World Expo, said Hong Hao, director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, at the signing ceremony.

Hong said he believed Tencent's participation would be a boost for organizers' efforts in holding an outstanding Expo.

Ma Huateng, board chairman and chief executive officer of Tencent Holdings Limited, promised Tencent would use the best technology and allocate top human resources for the operation of Expo Shanghai Online to make Expo 2010 an everlasting event through the Internet technology.

The Expo Shanghai Online, one of the two anticipated highlights of Shanghai Expo, will allow Netizens worldwide to savor the 2010 extravaganza via advanced technology that will provide three-dimensional images of the pavilions.

Netizens can "walk" into every corner of the Expo site from a first-person point of view and watch performances anytime, anywhere.

They will also be able to interact in pavilions by playing games in exhibits, chatting with pavilion chiefs and even plan a future city, in keeping with the Expo's theme of livable cities and innovation.

The nine-year-old Tencent is one of China's largest and most used Internet service portals with registered users of nearly 700 million by the end of last year.

(source: Official Website of Shanghai World Expo)