Internet users in China cross 1 billion
Beijing, Aug 27 (EFE).- The number of internet users in China has crossed 1 billion, the China Internet Network Information Center said in a report on Friday.
The total number internet users in June stood at 1.011 billion, 21 million more than at the end of 2020.
The internet penetration rate among the Chinese population, which stands at 1.41 billion, was 71.6 percent at the end of June, according to the report.
The internet penetration rate in rural areas was lower, at 59.2 percent, although it represented an increase of 3.3 percentage points compared to December 2020.
The percentage of internet users aged over 50 years grew to 28 percent of the total, which is 5.2 percentage points more than in June 2020.
The agency highlighted the growth of the food delivery sector, which already has 469 million users in the country, 49 million more than in December 2020.
Chinese regulators have recently intensified their scrutiny of the software and information technology sector, to which major tech companies belong, for alleged monopolistic practices and violations of national security and data protection laws.
Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping highlighted the need for efforts to “adjust excessive incomes” and encourage individuals and companies to give back more to society, a call local experts say will affect China’s tech giants. EFE
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