ChinaNet Online Holdings Receives Nasdaq Notification of Non-Compliance With Listing Rules

ChinaNet Online Holdings, Inc.

(the "ChinaNet" or "Company"), a leading B2B (business to business) Internet technology company focusing on providing online-to-offline ("O2O") sales channel expansion services for small and medium-sized enterprises ("SMEs") and entrepreneurial management and networking services for entrepreneurs in the People's Republic of China, today announced that on April 16, 2014, it received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC ("NASDAQ") advising the Company that, due to its inability to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 on a timely basis, the Company no longer complies with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) for continued listing, and that the Company has 60 calendar days (or until June 16, 2014) to submit a plan explaining how it expects to regain compliance. If NASDAQ approves the Company's plan, it can grant the Company an extension of up to 180 calendar days from the due date of the Form 10-K (or until October 13, 2014) to regain compliance. The Company anticipates that it will be able to file the Form 10-K substantially prior to the expiration of such 60-day period and regain compliance with the NASDAQ Listing Rules. If the Company is unable to file its Form 10-K within the 60-day period, it intends to file with the NASDAQ a plan to regain compliance within the Listing Rules of the NASDAQ. Acceptance of such plan is discretionary with the NASDAQ. This notification has no immediate effect on the listing of the Company's common stock on the NASDAQ. There can be no assurance, however, that the Company will be able to regain compliance with the listing requirement discussed above or otherwise satisfy the other NASDAQ listing criteria.