Sina
A Chinese internet and online-media company best known for the Sina.com portal and its former controlling interest in Weibo.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Sina Corporation is a Chinese internet and online-media company whose principal public identity has been built around the Sina.com portal and a broad portfolio of digital services. The company was created through the combination of Chinese and overseas Chinese internet businesses: SRSNet, also known as Stone Rich Sight Information Technology, and Sinanet, a California-based website serving Chinese-speaking communities. The combination brought together a mainland Chinese portal operation and an international Chinese-language audience, helping Sina develop a cross-border publishing and communications network. Sina became one of the leading Chinese web portals during the formative period of commercial internet use in China. Its services covered news, sports, finance, technology, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, email, search, games, advertising, blogs, mobile services and other forms of online information. The company’s portal strategy relied heavily on rapid news publication, extensive channel organization and localized versions for users in mainland China, Hong Kong and overseas Chinese communities. Sina also worked with media and technology partners, including newspapers, news organizations, telecommunications companies and international technology brands. The company was an early participant in the internationalization of Chinese internet businesses. It maintained localized services for overseas audiences and used technologies intended to support both simplified and traditional Chinese characters. Within mainland China, its content operations were subject to the regulatory and censorship environment applicable to domestic internet platforms. This produced recurring scrutiny over the accuracy, tone and suitability of material published through its portal. Sina’s most consequential digital product was Sina Weibo, a microblogging service launched in 2009. Weibo became one of China’s most prominent social-media platforms, competing with services associated with Tencent and Baidu and providing a major distribution channel for celebrities, media organizations, companies and public figures. Sina also developed or operated related products such as Sina Blog, Sina Qing, location-based services and mobile offerings. In 2010, Weibo was separated into a distinct corporate structure, Weibo Corporation, while Sina retained a controlling interest for many years. Another important technology business was Sina App Engine, or SAE, a platform-as-a-service operation established in 2009. SAE provided hosting and web-deployment tools for organizations and independent developers in China and was described as one of the country’s earliest large-scale PaaS platforms. Sina’s wider business also included mobile and online services, advertising and digital content distribution. Sina entered the Nasdaq market in April 2000 through a Cayman Islands-based variable-interest-entity structure. It became one of the first major Chinese internet companies to list in the United States, alongside later listings by NetEase and Sohu. After more than two decades as a public company, Sina completed a take-private transaction led by chairman Charles Chao on March 22, 2021. The transaction ended its Nasdaq listing. Sina therefore remains an active internet brand and operating company, but it is no longer a publicly traded Nasdaq issuer. Its historical significance lies in its role as an early Chinese web portal, its development of Chinese-language digital media, and its creation and control of the Weibo social-media business.
History
Sina’s origins lie in two Chinese-language internet ventures founded during the first wave of commercial web development. SRSNet, also known as Stone Rich Sight Information Technology, was established in China by Wang Zhidong and Wang Yan. Sinanet was created in California by Hurst Lin, Ben Tsiang and Jack Hong to serve Chinese communities outside mainland China. The two operations merged in the late 1990s, creating the business that became Sina Corporation. The merger combined a mainland portal audience with an overseas Chinese network and gave Sina a basis for serving users across geographic and linguistic markets. Sina expanded its portal activities at a time when Chinese users were increasingly turning to the web for news, sports, finance, entertainment and practical information. The company organized its site into numerous topic channels and developed localized services for mainland China, Hong Kong and overseas Chinese communities. It competed with other major Chinese portals, particularly Sohu and NetEase, and built its reputation through frequent online-news updates and broad coverage of domestic and international events. The company’s services also included email, search, games, blogs, advertising and mobile communications. The company’s international orientation was reflected in localized sites and technical support for both simplified and traditional Chinese characters. It operated or promoted services for users in North America, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Europe, while retaining mainland China as its central market. Sina also formed commercial and content relationships with media organizations, telecommunications operators and technology companies. These relationships helped it distribute content, sell advertising and extend its reach to mobile users. Sina became one of the first major Chinese internet companies to access the United States public markets. It listed on Nasdaq in April 2000 through a Cayman Islands-based variable-interest-entity structure. The listing occurred during the rapid expansion of internet valuations and gave Sina capital and visibility as a representative Chinese portal company. In the following years, the company continued to broaden its services and promoted partnerships in online auctions, wireless internet, security and digital content. A major strategic turning point came with the creation of Sina Weibo. Launched in 2009, the service adopted the short-form posting and follower model associated with microblogging while tailoring the product to Chinese users. Weibo rapidly became a major platform for celebrities, athletes, media outlets, businesses and public discussion. Sina later placed Weibo in a separate corporate structure, Weibo Corporation, but retained a controlling interest and continued to treat the service as its most important growth asset. As a platform, Weibo extended Sina’s influence beyond portal publishing into social media, mobile communications and user-generated content. Sina also invested in infrastructure for online developers. Its Sina App Engine division, established in 2009, offered web hosting and deployment services and was described as an early large-scale platform-as-a-service provider in China. This business complemented Sina’s consumer-facing media products by supplying technical infrastructure to companies, organizations and independent developers. The company’s content operations faced regulatory pressure. In 2015, China’s cyberspace regulator reprimanded Sina over alleged distortion of news facts, violations of morality and sensationalized media practices. In April 2018, the regulator announced an investigation into alleged factual errors and insufficient control of vulgar or explicit material on the news portal. These events illustrated the compliance constraints facing Chinese online publishers and platforms. Sina’s gaming activities also generated litigation. In 2019, Blizzard Entertainment sued Sina Games, alleging that Glorious Saga copied the Warcraft games and associated products. The dispute added intellectual-property risk to the company’s already diverse internet portfolio. On March 22, 2021, a go-private transaction led by chairman Charles Chao was completed. Sina ceased to be a Nasdaq-listed public company and became privately held. The company’s later identity is therefore best understood as an active Chinese internet and media brand with a legacy in portal publishing, a historically important relationship with Weibo, and operations spanning digital content, advertising, mobile services and web infrastructure.
- 2021
Sina becomes private
[1]The go-private transaction led by Charles Chao closes on March 22, ending Sina’s Nasdaq listing.
- 2009
Sina App Engine is established
[1]Sina creates its SAE platform to provide web hosting and deployment services for organizations and developers.
- 2009
Sina Weibo launches
[1]Sina launches its microblogging service, which subsequently becomes a leading Chinese social-media platform.
- 2000
Nasdaq listing
[1]Sina lists on Nasdaq in April through a Cayman Islands variable-interest-entity structure.
- 2000
Sydney Olympics online coverage
[1]Sina serves as an official online coverage site for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
- 1999
Sina Corporation is formed
[1]Sina is formally established through the combination of Beijing SINA Information Technology and California-based SINANET.com.
- 1999
Sina expands to Hong Kong
[1]The company extends its Chinese-language online service network to Hong Kong.
- 1998
SRSNet and Sinanet merge
[1]The two Chinese-language internet businesses combine, forming the foundation of the later Sina Corporation.
- 1996
SRSNet is established in China
[1]Wang Zhidong and Wang Yan establish SRSNet, later also known as Stone Rich Sight Information Technology.
- 1995
Sinanet is established in California
[1]A California-based website serving the overseas Chinese community is founded by Hurst Lin, Ben Tsiang and Jack Hong.
Products and positioning
A Chinese-language internet and online-media group combining portal publishing, social networking, mobile services, advertising and developer-oriented cloud infrastructure.
Internet portal and online media · 1999
Sina.com
Sina.com is the company’s principal Chinese-language portal and its original flagship brand. It aggregates and publishes news and information across areas such as current affairs, sports, finance, technology, entertainment, fashion and travel. The portal also historically incorporated email, search, advertising, blogs and other online services, using localized editions and content channels to reach mainland Chinese and overseas Chinese audiences.
Social media and microblogging · 2009
Sina Weibo
Sina Weibo is a short-form social-media and microblogging platform launched in 2009. It supports public posts, following, content discovery and interaction among users, celebrities, media organizations, companies and public figures. Weibo became Sina’s most prominent consumer internet product and was later operated through Weibo Corporation, in which Sina historically held a controlling interest.
Cloud computing and platform as a service · 2009
Sina App Engine
Sina App Engine, commonly called SAE, is a platform-as-a-service business created to help companies, organizations and independent developers deploy and host web applications. It was described as one of China’s earliest and largest PaaS platforms and formed part of Sina’s effort to extend from consumer media into internet infrastructure and developer services.
Blogging and user-generated content
Sina Blog
Sina Blog is a blogging service associated with the Sina portal. It provided a publishing channel for ordinary users as well as prominent writers, celebrities and public figures, helping Sina build an extensive user-generated-content ecosystem before and alongside the rise of microblogging.
Social media
Sina Qing
Sina Qing was described as a lighter-weight blogging service with a format comparable to Tumblr. It represented Sina’s experimentation with shorter, more visual and more socially distributed forms of online publishing.
Controversies
2019
Blizzard intellectual-property lawsuit against Sina Games
Blizzard Entertainment sued Sina’s game studio over allegations that Glorious Saga was a close imitation of the Warcraft games and related products.
2018
Investigation into alleged inaccurate and vulgar content
On April 16, 2018, the Cyberspace Administration of China launched an investigation into the Sina news portal over alleged factual errors and inadequate control of vulgar or explicit material.
2015
Regulatory reprimand over portal content
The Cyberspace Administration of China reprimanded Sina, alleging that its online portal distorted news facts, violated moral standards and engaged in media sensationalism.
Marketing campaigns
- 2000Sydney Olympics online coverage
China
Sina was selected as an official online site for coverage of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, using the event to strengthen its position as a major Chinese-language online news and information portal.
Outcome. The designation increased Sina’s visibility during the early development of Chinese internet media.
Brand decisions
2021
Take-private transactionM&ABackground
After more than two decades as a Nasdaq-listed Chinese internet company, Sina pursued a transaction to leave the public markets.
Action taken
A go-private transaction led by chairman Charles Chao closed on March 22, 2021.
Aftermath
Sina ceased to be publicly traded and its Nasdaq ticker was retired.
2009
Launch of Sina WeiboProduct launchBackground
Sina sought to extend its portal and publishing business into the rapidly developing microblogging and mobile-social market.
Action taken
The company launched Sina Weibo as a Chinese-language microblogging service and developed it around public posting, followers, celebrities, media and commercial accounts.
Aftermath
Weibo became Sina’s most important social-media asset and was later placed in a separate listed company, Weibo Corporation.
2009
Investment in platform-as-a-service infrastructureStrategyBackground
The growth of web applications created demand for Chinese-language hosting and developer infrastructure.
Action taken
Sina established the Sina App Engine division to provide web deployment and hosting services to companies, organizations and independent developers.
Aftermath
SAE broadened Sina’s business beyond media and advertising into cloud and developer services.
Recent events
- 2021
Sina completes take-private transaction[1]
M&A
A transaction led by chairman Charles Chao closed on March 22, 2021, taking Sina private and ending its Nasdaq-listed status.
- 2009
Sina launches its microblogging service[1]
Product launch
Sina introduced Sina Weibo, which grew into one of China’s largest microblogging and social-media platforms.
- 2000
Sina completes Nasdaq listing[1]
Other
Sina became one of the earliest major Chinese internet companies to list on Nasdaq, using a Cayman Islands-based variable-interest-entity structure.
- 2000
Sina selected as official online broadcaster for the Sydney Olympics[1]
Campaign
Sina was selected to provide official online coverage of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney for Chinese audiences.
Sources8 sources
- 1Sina Corporationen.wikipedia.org
- 2美股盘前：新浪宣布回购计划 腾讯收购环球音乐部分股权tech.sina.com.cn
- 3新浪发布2019年Q3业绩报告 营收同比增1%至5.64亿美元finance.sina.com.cn
- 4新浪发布Q3财报：营收5.614亿美元 净利润2040万美元finance.sina.com.cn
- 5SINA Reports First Quarter 2020 Unaudited Financial Resultsprnewswire.com
- 6SINA Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2019 Unaudited Financial Resultsprnewswire.com
- 7SINA Reports Third Quarter 2019 Unaudited Financial Resultsprnewswire.com
- 8Sina.com已停止更新 新浪回应：业务调整news.zol.com.cn
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/sina · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled