The number of internet users in China reached 298 million in 2008, nearly the populations of the United States, according to the official China Internet Network Information Center. The figure is a 43 percent increase over 2007.
There have been many articles, including this excellent one by James Fallows, on the manner in which the internet in China is censored – how the so-called Great Firewall of China operates. People who live outside the wall often do not fully appreciate just how it works, doesn’t work, the ease of which it can be circumvented, and how many people actually don’t bother or care. With so many people online in China, those who are outside the wall and want to feel part of the action can dowload this Mozilla Firefox plug.