ChinaNet Online Holdings Adds New Clients After 2012 Shanghai International Franchise Exhibition

BEIJING, Oct. 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ChinaNet Online Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:CNET) (the "Company"), a leading B2B (business to business) Internet technology company focusing on providing online-to-offline ("O2O") sales channel expansion services for small and medium-sized enterprises ("SMEs") and entrepreneurial management and networking services for entrepreneurs in the People's Republic of China, today announced that its subsidiary - Liansuo.com (www.liansuo.com) - attended the 2012 Shanghai International Franchise Exhibition (the "Exhibition") at the Shanghai International Exhibition Center that took place in mid-September. Since the Exhibition, Liansuo.com has signed approximately 56 new clients, on a trial basis.

Mr. George Chu, COO of ChinaNet began, "This year's Shanghai International Franchise Exhibition was one of the most productive trade shows to date. We met dozens of new prospective clients and discussed ways our comprehensive set of services can help them grow their businesses. While it's still early, we believe that we will achieve our goal of increasing our conversion rate by over 30% for Liansuo.com."

More than 200 businesses and over 30,000 attendees participated in the Exhibition, which took place over three days. In addition to providing the live webcast, Liansuo.com also introduced its full line of products and services to the attendees of the Exhibition.

More information about the Exhibition can be found at the following link:
http://www.chinafranchiseexpo.com/ccfa/cn/default.asp?leftmenu=0

About ChinaNet Online Holdings, Inc.

The Company, a parent company of ChinaNet Online Media Group Ltd., incorporated in the BVI ("ChinaNet"), is a leading B2B (business to business) Internet technology company focusing on providing O2O (online to offline) sales channel expansion service for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurial management and networking service for entrepreneurs in China. The Company, through certain contractual arrangements with operating companies in the PRC, provides Internet advertising and other services for Chinese SMEs via its portal websites, 28.com, Liansuo.com and Chuangye.com, TV commercials and program production via China-Net TV, and in-house LCD advertising on banking kiosks targeting Chinese banking patrons. Website: http://www.chinanet-online.com.

Safe Harbor

This release contains certain "forward-looking statements" relating to the business of ChinaNet Online Holdings, Inc., which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including business uncertainties relating to government regulation of our industry, market demand, reliance on key personnel, future capital requirements, competition in general and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are or will be described in greater detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are based on ChinaNet's current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on the company. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting ChinaNet will be those anticipated by ChinaNet. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond the control of the Company) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. ChinaNet undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

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