Mobile phone text messages have become a new and popular way for communication in the workplace among the Chinese.

The country had 329 million cell phone subscribers as of the end of November this year, a survey says.

Thirty percent of the respondents to a survey conducted nationwide by Tegic Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of America Online, Inc., said they often arrange meetings by sending text messages.

One in four people said they got instant replies on job-related questions via short messages, and 22 percent sent their bosses messages to ask for sick leave. One in?10 people has once discussed or applied for a new job via SMS.

Chinese mobile phone users now turn to short messages for communication in the offices because more than 70 percent of them think it is convenient and cheap. Nearly 40 percent believe it may reduce barriers in communication, while 22 percent regard sending short messages as a fad.

China's mobile phone users are expected to send 220 billion short messages in 2004, according to the Ministry of Information Industry.

(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2004)