BEIJING, JULY 30-- China should be alive to the opportunities and challenges brought by its ballooning number of Internet users, says an article in the Beijing News. An excerpt follows:

    On July 21, the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC) released a report in which was encouraging news about the development of China's Internet network: By the end of June, the number of people online in China had reached 103 million, second only to the United States. In addition, it was the first time broadband users with a population of 53 million outnumbered dial-up users.

    These figures marked some epoch-making changes in China's Internet development. They could also be translated into both opportunities and challenges for administrators.

    Research reports on communicational psychology suggest the law of Internet communication determines that one netizen can pass the information he or she gets online to four to seven people. Based on this principle, we could say that the number of people directly or indirectly influenced by the Internet has hit at least 400 million in China.

    The Internet has, in many ways, outperformed newspapers and television to become the world's most powerful media. For example, it boasts a vast audience; is rich with information; and people can use it anonymously.

    All these merits have brought positive changes to people's traditional lifestyles the way they access information, entertain and moreover, do business. The Internet is also a super highway of information and an open forum in which people can be free with their opinions.

    In addition to all these opportunities brought about by the Internet, there are also challenges. With the Internet, government agencies can no longer bury facts. On the contrary, social administrators should try to use the Internet to take on board the wide spectrum of public opinion.

    However, in this virtual world, the pervasion of indecent information is inevitable. Social administrators should help people distinguish the bad from the good and punish netizens who violate related laws and regulations.

    (Source: China Daily)