China's internet landscape has achieved unprecedented growth, with 79.7% of its population – over 1.1 billion people – now connected online, as revealed at the 24th China Internet Conference in Beijing. This surge places China among global leaders in digital adoption, reshaping economic and technological trajectories across Asia.
Infrastructure & Innovation Accelerate
Vice Minister Zhang Yunming highlighted transformative developments: telecom businesses nearly doubled to 187,000 since 2021, while top internet companies saw revenues leap from 2.4 trillion yuan to 4 trillion yuan. Over 400 unicorn startups now operate nationwide, signaling vibrant entrepreneurial energy.
5G Dominance and AI Ambitions
With 4.486 million 5G base stations and 200 million gigabit broadband users, China maintains the world's largest advanced network infrastructure. Mobile data usage hit 186.7 billion GB in H1 2024, up 16.4% year-on-year. Zhang emphasized accelerating 'AI+' integration to boost smart manufacturing and digital product innovation.
Strategic Priorities for Global Tech Leadership
Conference discussions focused on enhancing AI infrastructure connectivity and computing network integration. These efforts aim to solidify China's position as a digital innovation hub, creating ripple effects across Asian markets and global supply chains.
