CHINA: Net user tally in China nears 134m
Online gaming is a key growth area, says Analysis International
South China Morning Post
Friday, February 4, 2005
The number of Internet users in China will hit 134 million by the end of this year, consolidating its position as the second largest market in the world after the United States, research firm Analysys International said on Thursday.
The figure would mark a growth rate of about 30 per cent compared with 103 million users at the end of last year, the independent forecaster said. Analysys' number of 103 million users late last year was higher than the 94 million figure released last month by the state-controlled China Internet Network Information Centre.
Analysys said the increase would push the development of online games, a fast growing industry in China.
Last year, China's online games subscriber base grew 61.1 per cent year on year to 24 million, while the market rose 89.5 per cent on a yearly basis to 3.6 billion yuan, Analysys said.
This year, the online games subscriber base would increase to about 35 million people, representing a stabilising growth rate of around 50 per cent, according to the research firm.
China welcomes the internet, as it helps the economy leapfrog into the 21st century, but at the same time it is worried about the way it enables people to access information that is considered subversive.
In reaction, the Chinese government has cracked down hard on internet cafes, closing down many, and is also monitoring online traffic for content that might be deemed politically sensitive.
Date Posted: 2/4/2005
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