The Chinese figure dates from late February, when the US online population was estimated at about 217 million, according to BDA China, a Beijing-based technology consulting and research firm. <\/p>\n
"It's driven by continued economic growth and improved broadband infrastructure," said Liu Bin, an analyst with BDA China. <\/p>\n
By the end of 2008, China is expected to have 280 million internet users, he said. <\/p>\n
The United States has occupied the number one position ever since the birth of the internet as a network of computers under the auspices of the US Department of Defence in 1969, the state-run China Daily newspaper said. <\/p>\n
The China Internet Network Information Centre, a government-backed institution, said earlier that China had 210 million internet users as of the end of 2007, a rise of 53.3% from a year earlier. <\/p>\n
The fast-growing online population has made the internet a new forum for average Chinese to express opinions in a free-wheeling way rarely seen on the strictly government-controlled traditional media. <\/p>\n
The appeal of the web has stirred up Beijing's fears about potential social unrest, and President Hu Jintao called last year for efforts to "purify" the internet. <\/p>\n