More Web Surfers in China
Xinhua News Agency
April 3, 2001
The number of Internet users in Greater China surpassed 24 million people in the fourth quarter of 2000, according to the latest findings from Internet measurement specialist iamasia (Interactive Audience Measurement Acia).
Mainland China is home to 15.2 million Internet users aged five and above, with a further 2.2 million in Hong Kong and 6.4 million in Taiwan. This represents a penetration level of 7% in mainland China (based on an urban population of 209 million), 34% in Hong Kong and 31% in Taiwan.
During the six months from the second quarter to the fourth quarter last year, the number of Internet users grew 15.4% in mainland China and 9.7% in Hong Kong.
As Internet penetration continues to rise across all three Greater-China markets, the demographic profile of Internet users becomes closer to that of the general population. For example, the gender disparity of the online population is narrowing as more women come online. Also, although Internet users still tend to have much higher incomes than average, such income inequalities are diminishing.
The home remains the most popular location for Greater China's Internet users to log on. However, there are sharp contrasts between the three markets. For example, in China where many homes still do not have PCs, a substantial proportion of Internet users connect at work or at an Internet cafe.
In contrast, the vast majority of Hong Kong's Internet users log on at home while considerably fewer do so at work; only a quarter (26%) of Hong Kong's Internet users log on in the workplace. Meanwhile, school Internet use is most common in Taiwan, where 40% of Internet users log on at school.
The survey findings from iamasia also reveal that e-commerce penetration is still very low across Greater China. Only 13% of Hong Kong Internet users have ever transacted online, compared with 10% in mainland China and 10% in Taiwan. Notably, China has seen e-commerce penetration double in six months - an encouraging sign for the mainland's nascent business-to-commerce (B2C) sector. On the other hand, Hong Kong has seen consumer e-commerce adoption rates remain more or less static during the second half of the year.
Research conducted by iamasia into Hong Kong Internet users' attitudes toward e-commerce goes some way to explaining the slow growth of the sector. Two-thirds of all Internet users in the territory say that they are "uncomfortable" or "very uncomfortable" with spending money over the Internet; substantially more than in either China or Taiwan. Almost three-quarters of Internet users in Hong Kong say that it is not likely that they will try e-commerce during the next 12 months.
The problem is clearly one of perception, as Internet users in Hong Kong with previous e-- commerce experience report significantly more positive attitudes than those who have never tried it.
Kevin Tan, CEO of iamasia, says: "Our new figures provide grounds for cautious optimism, with continued strong growth in the number of Internet users across Greater China. With more than 24 million people online across the region, this is an audience that is clearly gaining critical mass.
"In Hong Kong, however, there are serious concerns raised by the extremely slow growth in Internet usage in the workplace and the predominantly negative perceptions held by consumers toward e-commerce."
Copyright Xinhua
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