Youth main force of Internet development: Chinese cyberspace official

Ren Xianliang, Vice-Minister of Cyberspace Administration of China, speaks at a sub-forum of the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, Dec 16, 2015. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Young people have become the main force of Internet development both in China and the United States, said an official of Cyberspace Administration of China.

Ren Xianliang, vice-minister of the administration, made the remarks at a sub-forum of the World Internet Conference which kicked off in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province on Wednesday.

The sub-forum is themed as "Internet Dreams of Chinese and American College Students" and hosts representatives from both countries.

"Hundreds of millions of youth get information via Internet and have social life on it," Ren said, "More than 80 percent of China's web users are youth while about 96 percent of young people in US uses Internet."

The thoughts and behaviors of youth are directly affected by the Internet which in turn relies on them to further develop itself, he added.

"As the birthplace of Internet, the US has become a world cyber power while China has also seen rapid development of its Internet industry in the past two decades," he said.

"Founders of China's Internet companies such as Sohu and Baidu, have been to the US when they were young and back to start their career in China," he said. "Now most of the Internet companies in US also benefit from the China's Internet development, providing good opportunities for the youth in both countries."

"I hope the college students participating in this sub-forum can play the role of ambassadors and promote the friendship and exchanges between the two countries," he said.