The number of Internet users in China has surged to 16.9 million by the end of June, rising 8 million in the first six months this year, latest information from the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC) revealed.
In total there are 6.5 million computers hooked to the Internet nationwide, said the report released on Thursday in Beijing.
Experts predicts China's Internet population will exceed 20 million by the end of 2000, and could reach 30 million by 2002.
They attributed the rapidly growing Internet population to the country's strong economic performance, the improving living standards of its urbanities, and an increasing number of youth who tend to embrace the modern way of Internet life.
According to the report, now China has a total of 27,289 websites with an international bandwidth of 1,234M, rising 275 per cent and 512 per cent respectively over the same period last year.
Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou are China's three metropolises with the largest number of Internet surfers, said the report.
People with an average monthly family income of 1,001-2,000 yuan (US$120-240) make up the biggest group of Internet surfers, or 37.77 per cent, followed by 28.19 per cent of people with a monthly income of 501-1,000 yuan (US$60-120), said the report.
According to the report, 18 percent users paid for surfing Internet with public expenses. And, 56 percent paid out of their pockets.
(China Daily)
