Wang Guoqing, vice Minister of the Information Office of the State Council, addresses the launching ceremony for the six more foreign language services of CRI Online on Wednesday, September 23, 2009. [Photo: CRI Online]

CRI Online, the multi-language website of China Radio International (CRI), China's only state international radio broadcaster, formally launched six more foreign language services on Wednesday, bringing the total number of language services operated on CRI Online to 59.

The six new website editions include Belarusian (belarusian.cri.cn), Dutch (nl.radio86.com), Greek (greek.cri.cn), Hebrew (hebrew.cri.cn), Icelandic (is.radio86.com) and Norwegian (no.radio86.com), CRI president Wang Gengnian told press in Beijing.

The six newly-launched news services are the first of their kind in their own native languages in China, Wang said, adding that they provide information about business, culture and tourism in China, and offer Chinese music and free online Chinese classes, via their multimedia platforms in the form of texts, photos, and audio and video webcasts.

"This is also CRI Online's latest move in further consolidating its cutting edge in multi-language services and enhancing its capacity in international broadcasts and communication, following its earlier online services launched in Ukrainian and Croatian in 2008," he said.

CRI Online, officially launched in 1998, offers 59 language services and 18 webcast stations.

Tian Jin, vice Minister of State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), addresses the launching ceremony for the six more foreign language services of CRI Online on Wednesday, September 23, 2009. [Photo: CRI Online]

Wang Gengnian, Director-General of China Radio International, addresses the launching ceremony for the six more foreign language services of CRI Online on Wednesday, September 23, 2009. [Photo: CRI Online]

(CRI September 23, 2009)