Number of Internet users reaches 668 million in China

The number of Internet users in China continued to grow in the first half of this year, with about 90 percent of the users accessing the internet through mobile phones, according to a report released Thursday. The semi-annual report by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) showed that there were a total of 668 million online users in China by the end of June, an increase of 19 million in the past six months. Among the users, 27.9 percent or 186 million are rural residents, an increase of 8 million. Most of the online users are aged between 20 and 29 and are mainly students and freelancers. About 90 percent of the users access the Internet through mobile phones, 68 percent access through desktop and about 43 percent use laptop, the report said. The popularity of smartphones has shot up recently due to a drop in prices, making them more affordable. The government has also increased its support to mobile Internet services and has required operators to lower the Internet fees. The growth of apps useful in daily lives also contributed to attract online users, the report said. Besides, the report found that online shopping, group buying and trip booking have been increasing steadily, while the number of online payment apps also saw a significant rise as the related systems and infrastructure became more mature, according to the report. Following a boom in the stock market that began last year, the number of people using mobile apps to trade shares rose by 50 percent in the first half of this year to 5.6 million, the report showed.