Chinese gov't firmly backs Internet development: Premier

BEIJING, Nov. 20 -- The Chinese government vigorously supports the development of the Internet as a form of market expansion and job creation, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday.

Li made the remarks when meeting with participants of the first world Internet conference in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province.

China embraces the Internet and fosters the development of Internet with a market mindset. A majority of more than 10 million companies that registered in China this year are small or micro-sized and many of them are related to the Internet and information technology, said Li.

"China will continue improving Internet infrastructure and increasing the ratio of people's access to the Internet," he said.

China is willing to carry out cooperation and exchange with other countries in regards to the Internet and share the opportunities created by the Internet in the spirit of mutual opening-up and respect.

The conference saw roughly 1,000 Internet professionals, officials and experts from more than 100 countries and regions in attendance.

The Internet is one of the greatest inventions in human history. After gaining access to the Internet 20 years ago, China has grown into a large Internet nation, Li said.

Boasting 632 million Internet users, China is a lucrative market for all the global Internet giants.

The invention has given birth to new technologies, new products and new business models, and many people, young and new graduates in particular, have realized their career and life dreams through the Internet. The Internet is a new tool to foster people's entrepreneurship and innovation and help people acquire a vast amount of knowledge, he added.

It is also a new platform for running the government through online services and better communication between itself and the people. It is a tool to help make the administration "well-organized, efficient and traceable," Li said, adding that the Internet can help the government find smart solutions to different problems.

Internet breakthroughs represent not only a science and technology revolution, but also a societal revolution to ensure social justice, as everyone now has an equal access to the market and the outside world, he stressed.

China will support innovation in Internet technology and services, while sticking to Internet management in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations, Li said.

The three-day conference opened on Wednesday in the scenic river town of Wuzhen in Zhejiang.