Largest Internet User - China

China has the world's largest number of internet users, which stood at 420 million by the end of June, up 36 million from December last year, Xinhua reported on Thursday.

The increase was boosted by rising cell phone connections, said a report published by the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC) in July.

China had 265 million registered online game users in 2009, up 41.5 percent year on year, according to a blue paper issued by the Social Sciences Academic Press (SSAP).

The SSAP is a publishing institution run by the top government think tank Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The SSAP said more Chinese are living a lifestyle in which the internet has become a preferred channel for them to purchase goods, seek entertainment and acquire information.

The number of China's online shoppers topped 108 million in 2009, rising 45.9 percent from the previous year, the paper said