CNN 's Kristie Lu Stout worked for Sohu , a Chinese tech start-up , in the 1990s . In circa 1997 Beijing , there was no relentless gridlock or constant smartphone use to prevent free and open exploration in the real world . Sohu and peers like Alibaba are now some of the world 's biggest Internet companies . The company has been expanding rapidly since its founding by Jack Ma in 1999 as an online bookseller that sold books from around the world. The rise of China 's mammoth dotcoms has been a thrill to both witness and report .
CNN 's Kristie Lu Stout worked for Sohu , a Chinese tech start-up , in the 1990s . Sohu and peers like Alibaba are now some of the world 's biggest Internet companies . The company has been expanding rapidly since its founding by Jack Ma in 1999 as an online bookseller that sold books from around the world. The rise of China 's mammoth dotcoms has been a thrill to both witness and report .