The number of Internet users in China reached an estimated 172
million by the end of September, or about 13 percent of the total
population, according to the Ministry of Information Industry
(MII).
The figure, announced by MII Vice Minister Lou Qinjian at the
Ninth Hi-tech Fair in Shenzhen on Friday, indicates more than 100
Chinese people are acquiring Internet access every minute.
About 10 million new users gained access to the Internet in the
past three months, as the figure stood at 162 million by the end of
June.
Lou said the ministry expected the figure to reach 200 million,
about 15 percent of the population, by 2010 at an annual growth
rate of eight percent, as stated in its fifth five-year plan
(2006-2010).
However, the figure would easily top 200 million no later than
the end of next year, if the growth rate in the past three months
was maintained.
The number of Internet users in rural areas in the first nine
months was unavailable, but the number stood at 37.41 million by
the end of June, approximately 5.1 percent of the rural
population.
(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2007)