One in four now internet users, and half hook up using mobiles

With a quarter of its 1.3 billion population now internet users and 155 million using mobile phones to surf the Web, the mainland's internet industry continues to develop rapidly despite the impact of the financial crisis.

The China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC) yesterday reported that 338 million people were using the internet by the end of June, a rise of 40 million, or 13.4 per cent in six months. The number accessing the Web by mobile phone rose by 32 per cent, to 155 million, over the same period, it said.

And it predicts the roll-out of 'third generation', or 3G, handsets will lead to a big rise in the number of internet users logging in through mobile phones. Many netizens have said they will choose 3G for surfing in the near future, the CNNIC reported.

A year ago, the mainland said its netizen population had surpassed that of the United States; now it is bigger than the entire population of the US (more than 306 million).

The report said the global recession had not slowed the growth of internet use; rather, the 'huge number of migrant workers returning to rural homes [because of the economic slowdown], and sharing their internet knowledge and familiarity with the local community has enhanced rural internet awareness and driven more people to the cyberworld'.

The recession had also driven many people to online shopping sites, which offer lower prices. As a result, the mainland now has 87 million shoppers, 14 million more than six months ago.

Blogs and social networking services have become more popular. Some 182 million internet users say they have blogs or personal spaces. Of these, 19.84 million became bloggers during the past six months.