According to the blog post, (translated by Kotaku) six million units of the smaller tablet will hit shelves in late 2012. NetEase cites “Taiwan media reports” which are based on orders Apple has placed to factories, including Honhai Precision – operated by Foxconn – the manufacturer currently being investigated by the Fair Labour Association.
An Apple spokesman said: "Apple does not comment on rumours or speculation."
The latest reports follow on from an article in The Korea Times a few weeks ago which claimed Samsung had started providing Apple with new LCD technology for smaller iPads.
An unnamed Samsung official told the paper that the new smaller iPad would probably have a 7.86-inch screen – compared to the current model which measures 9.7-inches.
The Windows 8 tablets will go on sale later this year and are believed to cost a similar amount to Apple's iPad. However, Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet, which has yet to be released in the UK, is far cheaper and therefore seen as more of a threat.
Rumours about a mini iPad have been doing the rounds since the first model came out in 2010. Some technology pundits believe it may never happen as Steve Jobs, the late Apple co-founder and chief executive, was sceptical about smaller tablets and their purpose.