The future Internet search tie-up between Yahoo and Microsoft has shocked the Internet world. Insiders tend to believe that even though the cooperation has not been achieved in one step, it will surely impact China's market in the future.

"We are still discussing how to carry out this search deal in China. And we will disclose its progress periodically to the public," the spokesman for Microsoft (China) said yesterday.

Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz said that Yahoo will talk with the administrative departments and nothing would be done before they get permission. She hopes the cooperation will be approved at the beginning of 2010.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said the cooperation will take a long time, not to mention they may face disagreements of rivals.

"The cooperation will likely increase Microsoft's market share in China. But it is hard to say whether it will shake the dominating Baidu and Google in China market," commented Yu Yang, President of Analysys International.

Yahoo (China) cooperates with the Alibaba Group, which is a privately owned company of Internet-based businesses in China.

Alibaba has said that Yahoo (China) will not be affected by this new cooperation.

For more information, please consult the Chinese coverage here:

http://www.cnstock.com/paper_new/html/2009-07/31/content_71172968.htm

(China.org.cn by Li Xiaohua July 31, 2009)