More of Them Than U.S.
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/afp/20090726/tc_afp/chinatechnologyinternet
From Yahoo! news:
SHANGHAI (AFP) -
The number of Internet users in China is now greater than the entire population of the United States, after rising to 338 million by the end of June, state media reported Sunday.
China's online population, the largest in the world, rose by 40 million in the first six months of 2009, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing a report by the China Internet Network Information Center.
The number of broadband Internet connections rose by 10 million to 93.5 million in the first half of the year, the report said.
About 95 percent of townships were connected to broadband by early June and 92.5 percent of villages had telephone lines that could be used for Internet access, Xinhua said, citing the official data.
Rural coverage is expected to improve as the country's three telecoms operators, China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom invest 280 billion yuan (40 billion dollars) in a national 3G network over the next year, China Mobile vice president Lu Xiangdong was quoted as saying last week.
China's fast-growing online population has made the Internet a forum for the country's citizens to express their opinions in a way rarely seen in the traditional, strictly government-controlled media.
The growing strength and influence of the web population has prompted concern in Beijing about potential social unrest, and the government has stepped up its control over the Internet in recent years.
After rioting early this month in the capital of the restive northwest Xinjiang region, the government cut off online access to most of the area, in one of the largest known Internet blackouts in China yet.
It has also blocked access to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and a range of other sites used for networking and sharing content.
This is REALLY fascinating! Haven't they blocked GOOGLE too!?!? The idea that information can now be exchanged at rates of speed and in the raw numbers of individuals can't help but change the culture!!!!!! I find it a blessing and a curse. The oppression of the government, the global impact of China's environmental and business decisions are all potentially catastrophic. At the same time, they have such a beautiful culture that spans millenia and is rich in tradition. Who's to say which of those traditions are beauty or are horrific? Like the Samurai, whose culture was obliterated with industrialization. They were violent and brutal, but they also produced some of the most beautiful arts, poetry, and gardens and had a sense of loyalty, honor, and discipline that has nearly been unrivaled in other cultures. One thing we can be sure of is change. The other thing we can be sure of is that change is always good for some and bad for others. Always.
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