More than 730 million Chinese use the Internet
The number of Chinese active on the Internet has continued to increase. In December, 731 million Chinese were online, 6.2 percent more than a year earlier, according to the state Internet Information Center (CNNIC) on Monday.
This means that roughly as many people use the Internet in China as there are inhabitants in Europe. The increase of 6.2 percent, or 43 million people, is roughly equivalent to the population of Spain. China is home to 1.37 billion people. According to the new figures, 53.2 percent of them use the Internet. The vast majority of Internet users - 95.1 percent - go online via smartphone, according to CNNIC. In China, access to the net is heavily regulated; many foreign sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Google and Twitter are blocked, as are various news sites. Online publications by Chinese media and activities on social networks are strictly monitored. At the same time, the Internet is becoming increasingly important for the country's economy. The government is relying on start-ups and an expansion of online trade, among other things, to boost the economy. (SDA)
