(Yicai Global) Aug. 21 -- The number of Chinese web users passed the 800 million mark in the first half and the number of netizens under 10 exceeded 28 million for 3.6 percent of the total, which was up 0.3 percent from the end of last year, a recent study shows.

The number of Chinese internet surfers hit 802 million, with 29.7 million newly added by June 30, up 3.8 percent from the end of last year, the annual statistics report released by China Internet Network Information Center (CINIC) indicate.

China's mobile web using masses numbered 788 million by June, up 4.7 percent from last year's end. The proportion of those accessing the internet via mobile phones is now up to 98.3 percent, 0.8 percentage points higher than the end of last year.

Surfers accessing the internet through desktops and laptops were 49 percent and 34.5 percent of the total, respectively, 4.1 and 1.3 percentage points down from the end of last year, while the proportion of TV-based users reached 29.7 percent, up 1.5 percentage points from the end of last year.

The number of Chinese online payment users reached 569 million by June in a rise of 37.8 million from last year's end, with a semi-annual growth rate of 7.1 percent, per the data. The number of mobile payment users increased to 566 million. Among mobile payment users in offline scenarios, the proportions of WeChat Pay and Alipay users were 95.6 percent and 78.1 percent, respectively. The former is Tencent Holdings' messaging and third-party payment app, while the latter is that of Alibaba Group Holdings.

The China Statistical Report on Internet Development published by CINIC, which dates back to November 1997, is one of the most authoritative reports on China's internet development.

Editor: Ben Armour