China rises among info societies

CNNIC report says country's score higher than average of G20 nations

China's global ranking among countries with a strong internet-based information industry has improved from 36 in 2012 to 25 this year with a score of 72.8 out of 100, according to a report released by the China Internet Network Information Center at the third World Internet Conference on Friday.

China's score has surpassed the average of G20 countries for the first time.

The national information development evaluation report studied 88 countries' internet infrastructure, in terms of industry, innovation, application of latest technologies, cybersecurity and sustainable development.

The United States, United Kingdom and Japan took the top three spots with scores of 84.1, 82.7 and 81.5 respectively.

"China's information industry has developed rapidly over the past five years," said Li Xiaodong, director of the CNNIC.

Along with the US, the UK, Japan and Russia, China has become a leading player in the information industry with a strong infrastructure, a large market base and competitive development advantages.

Within China, the information industry is strong in the eastern and southern coastal provinces like Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Jiangsu.

Guizhou, Henan, Anhui and some other central China provinces are catching up quickly by undertaking scientific and technological pursuits and through efficient planning, the report said.

China's broadband speed has surpassed the 8Mbit/second milestone by the fourth quarter of 2015 - double the speed in 2014. The number of registered IT-related companies has tripled from 74,141 in 2013 to 240,413 in 2015, according to the report.

China's IT market scale has also more than doubled from 1.5 trillion yuan ($218 billion) in 2014 to 3.2 trillion yuan in 2015. IT companies are also expanding into transportation, medicine, education, tourism and dining as more government policies and incentives materialize.

The report disclosed uneven distribution of IT infrastructure, talent and capital are the main challenges China faces in expanding and deepening the internet-based information industry.

The Wuzhen Report on World Internet Development 2016 published by the conference's organizing committee on Friday states there have been "large-scale data leaks" and "cyber attacks against public and corporate infrastructure" .

While "privacy of all and of the young generation remains exposed to numerous online threats", it said "new types of cyber crimes and cyber terrorism become more challengin".

Against this backdrop, many countries will continue to "make generally accepted internet rules on the basis of respecting national sovereignty in cyberspace," the report said. "International norms and regulations will become the common aspiration of international society."