China to add 200 million 4G users in 2015: Official

China Mobile's 4G experience center in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.[Photo/China Daily]

China will add more than 200 million fourth-generation telecom network users this year and is looking to build at least 600,000 new base stations across the country to expand coverage, a top official of the industry regulator said on Thursday.

Miao Wei, chief of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said the country will make 4G coverage available in more county-level regions in 2015. The overall Internet connection speed is also set to be lifted.

"Broadband Web connection is becoming a strategically-critical foundation for the Chinese economy," Miao said. "We are trying to lift the 4G coverage to the similar level of the 3G network by the end of 2015."

China boasts the world's largest Internet user number, had close to 97 million 4G users in 2014, according to the ministry. The number of 3G users neared 500 million in last year.