China reports that the number of its Internet users has reached close to 253 million, surpassing United States as the world's leading Internet market, despite heavy government controls.

The estimate, based on a national survey, shows that the number of Internet users jumped more than 50 percent, or by about 90 million, during the past year, suggesting that China could soon have more than 300 million people using the Internet for everything from news to online shopping. China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) says that the share of the Chinese public using the Internet is still just 19.1 percent, leaving more space for rapid growth.

Read full story: International Herald Tribune

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