Recent research has placed the number of Internet users in China at 220 million, a few million more than the number of surfers in the U.S. (estimated at 217 million). Even if we quibble about the numbers, by the end of 2008 China is expected to have 280 million Internet users. With just over 300 million Americans in the total population, there's no way the country's Internet users could approach 280 million currently. The U.S. has held the number one spot (until now) since the development of the Net.
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Comments
Three aspects to this piece need to be recognized. (1) The growth of Chinese activities in many areas creates a preponderant significance that arises simply out of that nation’s vast population. This is one example among very many. (2) The percentage of Chinese with significant internet activity is still relatively small. (3) There are significant limits on what sites are available for the majority of Chinese to access. E-mail use is also regulated and monitored.