Nearly one in 10 Chinese have Internet access and many regularly go online to
read news, chat with friends, shop, and engage in debates.
Last year, Chinese Internet users spent a monthly average of 170 yuan (21.79
U.S. dollars) online, including the costs of Internet access, on-line shopping
and games, compared with 150 yuan in 2005. The on-line consumer market expanded
by 47 percent over the previous year, according to the China Internet Survey
Report 2007 released this month.
The report also showed the number of Chinese bloggers reached 20.8 million at
the end of last year, of whom 3.15 million are active authors.
The rising number of bloggers also caused problems and disputes. In 2006,
blog piracy, infringement and "irresponsible" publications prompted the
government to commission a study on the implementation of real-name blogs.
China Internet Association Councillor Hu Qiheng said the government was
considering new ways to supervise blogs, requiring bloggers to identify
themselves when they register, even if they write under a pseudonym.
The Ministry of Culture in December ordered all music distributors to
register and apply for approval from cultural authorities to distribute imported
music products on the Internet.
It also required online music based on music products copied or composed by
netizens for non-profit purposes to be monitored more closely, saying some
products had poor quality, or content that abused ethnic traditions or affected
social stability.
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