THR's 2012 Digital Power 50

Charles Chao
CEO, Sina

He made weibo (way-bwah), China's Twitter-like micro-blogs, the web's biggest buzzword in 2011. A journalist-turned-tech tycoon, Chao, 45, led Sina to become the country's most influential social networking service with 230 million users and counting. A power tool of civilian journalism and social accountability, Sina users shame government cover-ups and interact with their favorite celebs. 

Han Han
Super blogger/Internet voice of a generation

He races cars, sells books by the tens of millions and releases rock songs. The most-read blogger in the world, with well over 300 million hits, Han, 29, is hailed as the voice of a generation. A subtle critic of the suppression of artistic freedom, particularly in the realm of film, he is closely followed in times of political unrest.

PHOTOS: THR's 2012 Digital Power 50

Victor Koo
CEO, Youku

A Stanford Business School grad, Koo, 45, founded Youku, the YouTube of China, which boasts more than 200 million visitors. He recently signed deals with Warner Bros. and DreamWorks to bring Hollywood films like Kung Fu Panda to the site and is developing original content and a paid premium on-demand service.

Robin Li
Co-founder and CEO, Baidu

Li, 43, runs Baidu, China's state-endorsed search engine, which sees some 500 million daily users. The country's second-richest man, worth $9.2 billion according to Forbes, he has made bold forays in recent years, including the financing of iQiyi.com, China's first Hulu clone. In November, iQiyi partnered with Paramount to secure exclusive digital rights to Transformers: Dark of the Moon -- a promising milestone for legitimate Internet distribution in China.