REUTERS -- Feb 13 -- Match.com has secured Love21CN.com , one of China's biggest online dating service providers, as its main target for a potential stake purchase or business partnership. eHarmony is also looking at potential partners in China. In November, China.com said it would team up with Meetic for business promotion. Meetic in July also launched a localized Chinese site called "Mi Tang," or "Sweetie" in English. A Meetic-led venture capital consortium is also expected to invest $20 million in Yeeyoo. iResearch expects the Chinese online personals market revenue to grow by ~60% annually to 653 million yuan ($84.21 million) by 2008. MySpace will launch in China within months. GSR Ventures and U.S. fund Mayfield jointly invested $2 million in "Baihe" -- "Lily" in English -- in late 2005. In December, Baihe began charging 1,980 yuan per person for its high-end "Golden" service. Most Chinese dating sites are free.Mark Brooks: I have an interview with the CEO of Baihe.com lined up for OPW in March. Online dating has a casual connotation in China and is often referred to as 'friends-making.' The Asian internet dating conference is scheduled for May in Shanghai. See idate2007.com.
