China's state-owned Development and Prospects Corporation (發展與展望) has acquired the rights to the .sb zone from ICANN, an American organization. The zone was created in the 1990s for Siberia but was never used effectively. The .sb domain was registered in 1992 by Henry O'Ryan, advisor to Russian President Boris Yeltsin, alongside the Tatarstan domain .ts. Both domains were delegated only in 1999, but the Russian side requested their suspension in 2000, with formal confirmation sent through a letter from the Institute for the Development of Public Networks "RosNIIROS."

China did not disclose the purpose of the deal or its value, but it confirmed the deal will come into effect on June 1, 2022, after being approved by both parties. The Solomon Islands authorities will also be involved in the transaction; they will receive $47 million from China as compensation, infrastructure, and the guarantee of extending already registered domains until 2035. In April, CN NIC, the Chinese provider that manages the national domain .cn, will begin transferring the infrastructure of the Siberian zone for service.

China bought Siberia from the USA)))