HONG KONG -- China's internet boom arose in big cities on the coast. Now, to maintain their growth momentum, the country's internet companies are shifting their attention in another direction: towards China's vast rural hinterland.
When New York Stock Exchange-listed Alibaba Group Holding and Nasdaq Stock Market-listed JD.com reported earnings last month, the top two Chinese e-commerce companies thanked families in smaller cities and villages for helping generate revenues that surprised Wall Street.
