Internet service booms in Guangdong
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-04-08 00:49

Chen Guangjun, a business executive from a local State-owned foreign trade company, spent less than an hour Wednesday morning to surf the Internet and clinched a deal worth almost US$100,000.

One of his Taiwan trade partners wanted to purchase a bunch of computer desks.

Chen then immediately sat down in front of his computer in his office and began searching for furniture manufacturers via the Internet.

Chen offered a price to his Taiwan client after he had reached an agreement with the manufacturer.

One hour later, Chen received an e-mail from his client and the deal had been clinched.

Chen is just one of myriad people who are now using Internet services to do business in South China's Guangdong Province.

According to a report jointly released on Tuesday by the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC) and Guangdong Provincial Association of Internet Services, Guangdong registered more than 9.5 million Internet users by the end of last year. It now tops the nation in this regard.

Guangdong's Internet users represent more than 12 per cent of the country's total and account for 12.1 per cent of the province's total population.

Shanghai and Beijing are the other two other Chinese cities in registering Internet users.

Shanghai and Beijing has about 7.5 million and 6.5 million Internet users, respectively.

An official from Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Information Industry predicts the number of users in Guangdong will number more than 10 million by year's end.

"Internet service has become the fastest growing and has the most growth potential of any industry in Guangdong," the official who did not give his name, told China Daily.

About 60 per cent of the province's Internet users are business people. Most are university graduates under 35.

About 30 per cent of Guangdong's computer savvy people surf the Net for entertainment while the rest use computers to study and for other purposes.

Guangdong has registered more than 4.38 million computers which have been connected to the Internet, accounting for 14.1 per cent of the country's total.

Families are estimated to spend about 150 yuan (US$18) on Internet service per month.

The province's rapid growth in this field has come with government's efforts in promoting information technology,e-government, and e-commerce.

Most of the provincial government departments, bureaux and organizations have opened online services.

These government departments and organizations have included customs, industrial and commercial administrations, education and public health.

And starting last month, Guangdong residents were able to apply for their passports, travel documents, identity cards via Internet service after Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Public Security introduced an online service.

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