BEIJING -- China now has more than 1 billion internet users, a government agency said Friday, as the likes of Alibaba Group Holding draw in more of the world's most populous country with services ranging from shopping to bill payment.
China counted 1.01 billion internet users as of June, up 8% from a year earlier to top the 1 billion mark for the first time, according to the China Internet Network Information Center. Internet penetration rose to 71.6%.