China submits top-level domain name in Chinese characters
Beijing. November 17. INTERFAX-CHINA - The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) has applied to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for the implementation of the Chinese characters for China as a generic top-level domain name, according to a Nov. 16 CNNIC announcement.
CNNIC has attempted to incorporate Chinese language into domain names for ten years, but previously, ICANN guidelines did not allow the use of non-Latin languages, such as Chinese and Arabic, in generic top-level domain names.
Since October, ICANN has revised its stance and began accepting applications for non-latin domain names on Nov. 16.
According to CNNIC, if CNNIC's application is approved it will allow domain names to be written entirely in Chinese, effectively increasing Internet penetration in China among non-English speakers.
Hu Qiheng, director-general of the Internet Society of China (ISC), said in the announcement that Internet users may be able to visit the Chinese-named domain sites as early as early 2010.
-CG