The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) launched Tuesday its Chinese-language website, which provides Chinese-language readers with information about the UN body's work and major environmental issues.

Chinese entrepreneur and environmentalist Luo Hong has provided sponsorship for the establishment of http://www.unep.org/Chinese/.

The UNEP said that its website has registered an increasing number of Asian visitors over the past two years.

The number of Asian visitors accounted for 16.8 percent of the total visitors in 2005, and the percentage increased to 20 percent in 2006, with Chinese-language visitors being the biggest group, said the UNEP, adding that a total of 19,259 readers from China logged on the website in May.

(Xinhua News Agency July 18, 2007)