Microsoft today launched MSN China, a Chinese-language portal with content provided by Chinese partners, reported Reuters. The portal will offer much more communication, information and content than available through MSN's other services, including Hotmail and Messenger, that are already available in China. Messenger has around seven million users there.

Tapping into what is the world's second-largest internet market - China has about 100 million internet users - the portal will be run through Shanghai MSN Network Communications Ltd., a joint venture Microsoft established on May 11 with government-operated Chinese firm Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd.

Major players such as Yahoo and Google have already established positions in the China market through acquisitions. Censorship has been a major issue for many internet contenders, who voluntarily block searches and other links to subjects such as religious and pro-democracy movements.