The number of Internet users in China has reached about 710 million as of June this year, accounting for about 51.7 percent of the country's total population, according to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC).

The latest data on China's Internet users means the country is now home to the world's largest number of Internet users, exceeding the global average of 3.1% of population.

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In the first six months of this year alone, China gained about 21.4 million new Internet users, representing a 1.3 percent increase from the end of last year, the CNNIC report showed.

The report, however, noted a huge gap in terms of the demography of China's Internet users. The number of Internet users in China's rural areas was still low at 191 million people, leaving a penetration gap of 35.6 percent between urban and rural areas

By access to Internet, smartphones are now the gadget of choice. According to the CNNIC report, 656 million Chinese, or about 92.5 percent of the total number of Internet users in China, surf the Internet via smartphones.

"The number of hours that internet users in China spent per day also rose to 3.8 hours on average, up from 0.3 hours last year," the report said.

Additionally, the report pointed out that 92 percent of the 710 million Internet users in China use instant messaging applications, with 80 percent downloading new applications.

"Online search, listening to music and watching videos, and making online payments, were among the most popular activities among China's Internet users," the report said.

The report was released before the Chinese government issued an order requiring all apps developers in China to implement real-name registration for users.

While authorities said the move is part of China's efforts to protect the privacy and rights of apps users, some critics claimed that the requirement actually inhibits the rights and privacy of those downloading and using apps.

Tagschina internet, china internet users