Xiaonei.com, which has about 70 million registered users, was founded in December 2005. Its design and functions are very similar to that of Facebook. Both websites were originally targeted at university students. In China, the Xiaonei.com network is often used as a way to make new friends and even meet potential boy or girlfriends.

After the website was bought by Oak Pacific Interactive in October of 2006, it quickly became more commercialized, opening registration to workers in well-known companies in November 2007.

Renren.com was originally owned by a Hong Kong-based online company until the company closed down in 2001. Chen Yizhou bought the domain name in 2005, and launched it as a consumer information website there in 2006, but that venture failed in 2007, again leaving the website vacant – until now.

Source : Konaxis