China’s internet industry second only to US, Beijing-backed study says
Work needed on cybersecurity and infrastructure, but innovation and governance among best in world, report suggests
China ranks second only to the United States in terms of internet development and innovation, but among the worst on cybersecurity and industry infrastructure, according to a survey of 38 countries by a Beijing-backed think tank.
The rankings, compiled by the Chinese Academy of Cyberspace Studies, were released on Monday at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, eastern China’s Zhejiang province, and provide an unprecedented insight into how the country sees its internet development in comparison with other nations.
The World Internet Development Report rated the 38 countries in terms of infrastructure, innovation, industry diversity, cybersecurity, application and governance, though did not provide its methodology.
“We use standards and take a quantitative approach to reflect President Xi Jinping’s thought on internet governance,” Xu Yunhong, the academy’s assistant president said on the release of the report.
China ranked 23rd for cybersecurity and 27th for infrastructure, with both categories headed by Singapore, which according to the report offers the most stable mobile broadband connections and provides 82 per cent 4G coverage.