Mass log on as China’s growing online population nears 650 million

China hit a new milestone over the weekend as the world’s largest online population continues to rise, with the number of Internet users now nearly 650 million. China already had more web users than any other country in the world but by the end of 2014 it added 30 million more, according to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Online economy accounts for 7% of GDP, up from 3.3 the previous year.

Jin Jian, deputy director of the China Internet Network Information Center

China defines its online population as those who have used the Internet at least once in the last six months. It is home to a huge e-commerce market and the web has been used by citizens to spotlight government abuses, creating a concern for the ruling Communist Party. Beijing maintains tight controls over the Internet, blocking websites it deems politically sensitive in a system dubbed the “Great Firewall of China” and encouraging social media companies to censor user-generated content.

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