The Internet population in China reached 221 million by the end of February, overtaking the United States to rank first in the world, the Ministry of Industry and Information said.

The number was 210 million at the end of last year, only 5 million fewer than US Internet users then, according to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC).

Despite the rapidly increasing Internet users, the proportion of Internet users among the total population is still lower than the global average level, the ministry said, without giving figures.

(China Daily April 25, 2008)