According to Ouyang Weimin, the director of the Payment System Department of the People's Bank of China, PBOC plans to issue licenses to Chinese online third-party payment platforms to bring more competition and a higher level of security into this sector of the industry.

Chinese technology products retail chain Buynow has formally launched its online store Buynow.com.cn after a long period of preparation.

Youa, Chinese search engine company Baidu.com's online shopping platform, has announced that China Telecom Beijing has opened an official flagship store on its website, focusing on 3G mobile products.

Beijing Municipal Business Commission has issued a circular which encourages retailers to set up online stores and virtual featured commercial streets, and to increase the number of categories of goods offered based on the offline stores.

Microsoft China has announced plans to reduce the retail prices of its Windows and Office software prices in China by up to 60%.

In response to recent media reports that the Chinese appliances retail giant Gome will enter the TV direct sales market, He Yangqing, a spokesperson for Gome, said the company currently had no plan to enter this business.