[photopress:Internetusers_1.jpg,full,alignright]China’s population of Internet users (I apologize for the use of the word netizens which I hate but it made for a shorter headline) has risen by 30 percent over the past year to 132 million.
The government’s China Internet Network Information Center said the figure was up from 123 million at the end of June. At the same time the number of Chinese customers with broadband access has grown to 52 million although that is always a question of a definition of the word ‘broadband’. There is no international agreement on that.
The agency said the rapid rise in Internet use has propelled growth in China’s online commerce, advertising and games industries.
The government encourages Internet use for business and education but tries to block access to material deemed subversive or pornographic.
Source: Associated Press wire services.