BEIJING: China’s fast-growing Internet population has risen to tie the United States for the world’s biggest, with 221 million people online, according to government data.
The figure reflects China’s explosive growth in web use despite government efforts to block access to material considered subversive or pornographic. It was a 61 per cent increase over the 137 million Internet users reported by the government at the start of 2007.
China lags behind the U.S., South Korea and other markets in online commerce and other financial measures. But e-commerce, and other businesses are growing fast and companies have raised millions of dollars from investors.
“We’ll see this growth continuing,” said Duncan Clark, chairman of BDA China, a Beijing technology firm. “Even though China might overtake the United States in total population, it still lags in the size of its Internet industries, and there will be a lot more opportunities.”
The boom has produced Chinese success stories such as games site Tencent.com and search engine Baidu.com, which are competing with foreign rivals for market share.
On the Net, the China Internet Network Information Centre is at www.cnnic.net.cn— AP
The figure reflects China’s explosive growth in web use despite government efforts to block access to material considered subversive or pornographic. It was a 61 per cent increase over the 137 million Internet users reported by the government at the start of 2007.
China lags behind the U.S., South Korea and other markets in online commerce and other financial measures. But e-commerce, and other businesses are growing fast and companies have raised millions of dollars from investors.
“We’ll see this growth continuing,” said Duncan Clark, chairman of BDA China, a Beijing technology firm. “Even though China might overtake the United States in total population, it still lags in the size of its Internet industries, and there will be a lot more opportunities.”
The boom has produced Chinese success stories such as games site Tencent.com and search engine Baidu.com, which are competing with foreign rivals for market share.
On the Net, the China Internet Network Information Centre is at www.cnnic.net.cn— AP
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