China’s netizens rise to 648 mn

China’s netizen population, the world’s largest, reached 648 million in 2014, 16 million more than in June. The online economy accounts for 7 per cent of the country’s GDP, up from 3.3 per cent in 2013, said China Internet Network Information Center Deputy Director Jin Jian.

Internet retail sales totalled 331 billion yuan in the first 10 months of 2014, up a stunning 55.6 per cent over 2013. The vast majority of the people access online through smart phones.