China Surpasses US in number of Internet Users

New York Times-"China said the number of Internet users in the country reached about 253 million last month, putting it ahead of the United States as the world's biggest Internet market. The estimate, based on a national phone survey and released on Thursday by the China Internet Network Information Center in Beijing, showed a powerful surge in Internet adoption in this country over the last few years, particularly among teenagers. "

Though the percentage of Internet users in China is still lower than U.S., 19 percent compared with 70 percent, it shows a new generation of Chinese citizens already grows bigger and bigger. Most of them are younger than 30, born as the only child in the family, speak English, and have time to surf on the Internet. They are the one growing up with a PC at home, just like baby boomers in U.S. growing up with TV 50 years ago. They will have their own generation problem, very much different from their parents, but no doube they will have a big impact on where China will go.

In London, I am shocked to see the poor knowledge on China of a lot of Europeans. In their mind, China is still a scary country without freedom of speech and human rights. Thanks to a lot of western media's coverage, people's mind still stays on the same page as twenty years ago. It is pitiful for China to be recognized in the world, and it is also pitiful for the world in the other way.