ChinaNet Online To Participate in West Coast Franchise Expo November 4-6 in Los Angeles

BEIJING, Nov. 2, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ChinaNet Online Holdings, Inc. ("ChinaNet") (Nasdaq:CNET), a leading B2B (business to business) Internet technology company focusing on providing online-to-offline ("O2O") sales channel expansion service for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurial management and networking service for entrepreneurs in the People's Republic of China, today announced the Company will attend the West Coast Franchise Expo to be held November 4-6, 2011 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California.

ChinaNet will participate in the Expo to seek out new business opportunities with domestic and multi-national franchisors in attendance, and marks its first venture into the American Franchise marketplace. The Company has launched a new website www.expand2china.com to assist American based franchisors with expansion to China. The website includes detailed information on market demographics in China, a step-by-step expansion checklist, and a full description of ChinaNet's service offerings for franchisors.

The West Coast Franchise Expo (WCFE), hosted by Paramus, N.J.-based MFV Expositions, is the largest franchise event on the West Coast, and features hundreds of exhibitors and over 30 seminars and symposia. More information on the event can be found at: http://www.wcfexpo.com.

ChinaNet will be hosting investor meetings in Southern California and New York following the Expo. For further information or to book a meeting please contact Mark Flather at (760) 230-4421 or mflather@hcinternational.net.

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.

CONTACT: Ted Haberfield, President

         MZ North America, IR

         MZ Group

         Tel: +1-760-755-2716

         Email: thaberfield@hcinternational.net

         Web: www.mz-ir.com

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