AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE in Beijing

The number of internet users on the mainland now exceeds 100 million, consolidating the country's position as second only to the United States in terms of online population, according to state media.

Xinhua news agency reported the figure on Tuesday, quoting Information Industry Vice-Minister Xi Guohua, but did not say when the 100-million mark was passed and what method was used for counting the number of online users.

There were 94 million Chinese Net users at the end of last year, according to earlier reports, against an overall population of about 1.3 billion people.

The government has an ambivalent attitude to the internet, appreciating its potential for advancing technical and other knowledge but wary of its ability to disseminate information, particularly political opinion, that it deems harmful.