A survey of Internet users shows that Chinese netizens rank first in the world when it comes to on-line chatting as they have, on average, signed up for almost seven chat-room accounts.

The survey, jointly conducted by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), Analysis International, iResearch and CCW Research, shows that Chinese are also the world's most active online instant messengers.

"China has nearly 100 million IM users and they registered 828.6 million IM accounts in the second quarter of 2006 alone. Some 295 million of those accounts remain active," said the survey.

According to the CNNIC, China has about 123 million Internet users, which on average have registered 6.7 IM accounts.

The survey shows that more than 40 percent of on-line chatters use IM for work purpose.

It said that about 80 percent of respondents said they love on-line voice chatting, more than 50 percent often chat through video and more than 40 percent like on-line real-time conferencing.

(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2006)