Chi’s Internet availability rate reached 55.8 per cent, exceeding the global average by 4.1 percentage points, stated the report by the Chi Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC), Xinhua news agency reported. In rural areas, the online population reached 209 million last year, up by 7.93 million from the end of 2016. A total of 753 million Chinese used mobile phones to surf the Internet last year, making up 97.5 per cent of the online population, said the report. Smart devices could tap more potential to grow the online industry. Online public services as well as poverty reduction programmes have created a sense of fulfilment for many Chinese, said the CNNIC. (IANS)
