Number of internet users in China rises to 1.1 billion
Almost 1.1 billion people in China are now internet users, with internet penetration reaching 7%8, as recorded in June 2024. This is an increase of 7.42 million from December 2023, according to a recently released report.
It said that teenagers and the elderly are important sources of new users, with increased usage expected to boost economic growth, said the 54th Statistical Report on China’s Internet Development, released by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC).
It also showed that internet infrastructure continues to be enriched, with the total number of domains in China reaching 31.8 million as of June of 2024.
As China’s digital information infrastructure continued to consolidate in the first half of this year, digital services for the benefits of the public were extensively carried out, which effectively drove the growth of the number of internet users, the CNNIC report said.
The statistics show that teenagers aged between 10 and 19 constitute to 49% among the 7.42 million new internet users. The proportions of middle-aged internet users aged 50 to 59 and the elderly internet users aged 60 and above among the new internet users amounted to 15.2% and 20.8% respectively.
According to Liu Dingding, an industry observer, the continued increasing rates of internet availability among teenagers and the middle-aged and elderly group will further drive the development of China’s internet economy and boost China’s economic recovery.
The report shows that short video apps play a significant role in attracting new internet users, with 37.3% new internet users getting access to the internet through short video apps. Instant messaging apps also contributed to 12.6% percent new internet users.
Measures to promote the convenience of mobile payment services to the elderly group and the foreigners coming to China have been continuously improved, the CNNIC report said.
As of this June, 75.4% of internet users aged 60 and above in China have used online payments. And during the first half of 2024, more than five million inbound travellers used mobile payments, a four-fold increase compared with the same period of 2023.
A total of 90 million transactions were made during the period, with 14 billion yuan (£1.5bn) involved. Both the figures increased seven-folds on last year.
China looks to improve access to its markets
China is accelerating the introduction of a new, shortened ‘negative list’, which delineates areas of the economy where investment is prohibited or restricted in the country.
Government officials said the move would “optimize the business environment and inject strong impetus into the economy”.
Li Chunlin, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said the commission is currently working with the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration for Market Regulation and other departments to speed up revision of the negative list.
“A revised version has been developed and will be issued for implementation after approval through the proper procedures,” Li said at a news conference in Beijing.
He said the upcoming new version of the negative list will fully implement the requirements outlined in the guideline released recently to improve the market access system, closely aligning with a new round of institutional reforms including reforms of the administrative approval system and for separating operating permits from business licenses.
“This will unleash more reform momentum for the country’s high-quality development,” Li added.
He said that during the past few years, the country “has made considerable progress in creating a business-friendly environment”. China has revised the negative list four times, and the number of items on the list has been reduced from 151 in the 2018 version to 117 in the latest negative list, published in 2022.
In recent years, the NDRC – together with relevant departments – have abolished more than 20 negative lists for market access established by local authorities in violation of existing practices.
