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                                                                   Exhibit 10.40

                         DATED AS OF 21/st/ September 2003


                                 TOM.COM LIMITED


                                      -and-


                       ADVANCED INTERNET SERVICES LIMITED


                                ________________

                                 LOAN AGREEMENT
                                ________________

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THIS AGREEMENT is made as of the 21/st/ day of September 2003


BETWEEN:

(1)  TOM.COM LIMITED, a limited liability company incorporated in the Cayman
     Islands, whose principal place of business is at 48th Floor, The Center, 99
     Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong ("Lender"); and

(2)  ADVANCED INTERNET SERVICES LIMITED, a corporation incorporated in Hong
     Kong, whose legal address is at 48/th/ Floor, The Center, 99 Queen's Road
     Central, Hong Kong ("Borrower").

WHEREAS the Lender has agreed to make available to the Borrower a loan facility
upon the terms and subject to the conditions as hereinafter set out.

IT IS HEREBY AGREED as follows:

1.   INTERPRETATION

1.1  In this Agreement, the following expressions shall have the following
     meanings, unless the context requires otherwise:

     "Advance"   the principal amount advanced to the Borrower on the
                 occasion of each drawing under the Facility;

     "Agreement" this agreement;

     "Facility"  the loan facility granted by the Lender to the Borrower
                 upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement;

     "HK$"       Hong Kong dollars, the lawful currency of Hong Kong;

     "Hong Kong" the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the
                 People's Republic of China;

     "Loan"      the aggregate principal amount drawn and for the time being
                 outstanding under the Facility;

     "Parties"   the parties to this Agreement and "Party" means any of them;


1.2  References in this Agreement to the Recital and Clauses are to the recital
     and clauses in this Agreement unless the context requires otherwise.

2.   FACILITY

2.1  Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the aggregate principal amount
     of the Facility available to the Borrower shall be such amount as the
     Lender and the Borrower may from time to time agree.

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2.2  The proceeds of the Facility shall be used by the Borrower for financing
     the general operation of the Borrower.

2.3  The Borrower shall pay interest at the rate 1.65% per annum over HIBOR on
     the Loan to the Lender upon repayment of the Loan in accordance with Clause
     4 hereof and such interest shall be calculated from the 1/st/ January 2004
     up to the actual date of repayment of the Loan.

3.   ADVANCE

3.1  The Lender shall make all or part of the principal amount of the Facility
     available to the Borrower on such date(s) as the Lender and the Borrower
     may from time to time agree by depositing an amount equal to each Advance
     in clear fund into such bank account as the Borrower has by written notice
     notified the Lender for such purpose.

3.2  For the avoidance of doubt, up to 30/th/ June 2003, the Lender had made
     available to the Borrower a total amount of HK$75,930,226 being part of the
     Facility granted by the Lender to the Borrower pursuant to the terms and
     conditions of this Agreement.

4.   REPAYMENT

4.1  The Parties hereby agree that the Loan shall become due and payable after
     31/st/ December 2004 and the Lender may demand repayment of the Loan by
     serving a one (1) month's notice ("Notice") on the borrower notifying the
     borrower that the Loan together with the interest thereon are due and
     payable and the borrower shall repay the Loan together with the accrued
     interest thereon in full to the lender after 31/st/ December 2004 and on
     the 30/th/ day after the date of the Notice.

4.2  Notwithstanding anything contained herein, the Borrower may, at any time
     upon giving not less than 30-day prior written notice to the Lender, make
     early repayment of the Loan together with the accrued interest thereon in
     whole or in part to the Lender without penalty.

5.   REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

     The Borrower represents and warrants to the Lender that this Agreement
     constitutes valid and legally binding obligations of the Borrower
     enforceable in accordance with its terms. This representation and warranty
     shall be deemed to be repeated by the Borrower on each day until the
     outstanding amount of the Loan is fully repaid as if made with reference to
     the facts and circumstances existing as at each such date.

6.   MISCELLANEOUS

6.1  This Agreement constitutes the whole agreement between the Parties in
     respect of the Loan and shall supersede the terms of any other agreement in
     respect of the Loan, whether oral or otherwise, made prior to the entering
     into of this Agreement. It is expressly declared that no purported
     variations to the Loan shall be effective unless made in writing and signed
     by all the Parties.

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6.2  Each of the Parties shall at the request of the any other Party (and at the
     reasonable cost of the Party making such request) do and/or execute or
     procure to be done and/or executed all such further acts, deeds, things and
     documents as may be necessary to give effect to the terms of this
     Agreement.

6.3  No waiver by any Party of any breach by any other Party of any provision of
     this Agreement shall be deemed to be a waiver of any subsequent breach of
     that or any other provision of this Agreement and any forbearance or delay
     by the relevant Party in exercising any of its rights under this Agreement
     shall not be constituted as a waiver thereof.

6.4  Time shall be of the essence as regards any time, date or period mentioned
     in this Agreement and any time, date or period substituted for the same by
     agreement of the Parties or otherwise.

6.5  The illegality, invalidity or unenforceability of any part of this
     Agreement shall not affect the legality, validity or enforceability of any
     other part of this Agreement.

6.6  The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding on and shall enure for
     the benefit of the successors, assigns and personal representatives (as the
     case may be) of each Party. The rights and obligations of any Party under
     this Agreement shall not be assigned without the prior written consent of
     the other Parties.

6.7  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts by the Parties
     on separate counterparts, each of which when executed shall constitute an
     original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same
     document.

7.   GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

     This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the
     laws of Hong Kong. Each Party hereby irrevocably submits to the
     non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Hong Kong.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF this Agreement has been executed on the day and year first
above written.

SIGNED by                       )
TOM.COM LIMITED                 )
in the presence of:             )
                                )









SIGNED by                       )
for and on behalf of            )
ADVANCED INTERNET SERVICES      )
LIMITED                         )
in the presence of:             )
                                )

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