BEIJING — China's fast-growing Internet population has risen to tie the United States for the world's biggest, with 221 million people online, according to government data reported yesterday.
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The figure, reported by the state news agency Xinhua, reflects China's explosive growth in Web use despite government efforts to block access to material considered subversive or pornographic.
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It represents a marked increase from the end of last year, when the number of online users stood at 210 million, just five million less than the US, according to figures released by the China Internet Network Information Centre.
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Beijing promotes Internet use for business and education but operates extensive online censorship.
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The fast-growing online population has stirred up Beijing's fears about potential social unrest. Last year, President Hu Jintao called for efforts to "purify" the Internet.
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Web surfers have been jailed for posting or emailing material that criticises communist rule or is deemed a violation of vague national security laws.
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But the relative anonymity of the Internet has still encouraged users to voice their opinions and to organise protest activities in counterpoint to the strictly government-controlled traditional media.
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China already has the globe's biggest mobile phone user population, numbering 540 million at the end of November last year, according to government figures. But China's Internet penetration is still low, with 16 per cent of people online, compared with a world average of 19 per cent, Xinhua said. — AGENCIES
