China's leading search engine company Baidu has signed an agreement with Suning Appliance, a leading chain retailer of home appliances, to sell through the Internet on a business-to-consumer (B2C) platform

Under the agreement, Baidu will provide a package for Suning's B2C business based on online search activity, said a statement released by Baidu Monday.

Baidu will also seek large-scale cooperation with other vendors in China, said the statement, citing Ren Xuyang, Baidu's vice president.

Li Yanhong, president of Baidu, said in the statement that a retailers would struggle to survive the next five years if they failed to provide online shopping services, as Chinese consumers had developed online purchase habits.

Neither side has disclosed more details of the agreement.

(Xinhua News Agency July 14, 2009)