China's online population reaches 648 million

BEIJING - China's netizen population, the world's largest, reached 648 million at the end of 2014, 16 million more than in June, according to an industry expert.

Jin Jian, deputy director of the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), said that online economy accounts for seven percent of GDP, up from 3.3 percent the previous year.

More than 70 percent of Internet users are worried by Internet security problems, such as leaking of private information, Jin told the Beijing Daily.

Chinese consumers are eager to spend online. Internet retail sales totalled 331 billion yuan in the first ten months in 2014, up a stunning 55.6 percent over 2013.