For the first time ever, there are more Chinese Internet users who are going online with smartphones and tablets rather than with PCs. 

The total number of Internet users in China grew by 2.3 percent. The figure rose from 618 million at the end of last year to 632 million by the end of June.

According to data from the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), 527 million people, which comes to about 83 percent of the total number of Internet users in the country, have logged on using a mobile phone or a tablet. In its bi-annual Internet development statistics report, the agency said that many segments of Internet usage showed remarkable growth. For instance, mobile payments increased by 63.4 percent, mobile travel bookings rose by 65.4 percent and online banking jumped by 56.4 percent. There was also double digit growth for mobile services that involve video, music, group coupons, search and gaming.

According to a report from Reuters, the growth in the number of Chinese Internet users is due to an increase in mobile usage. The number of users who logged on to the Internet with a smartphone or tablet grew by 5.4 percent at the end of 2013. From December to June, the number of mobile shoppers in the country jumped by 42 percent.

The trend in China mirrors what has already happened in the US. According to data from comScore, Americans used mobile apps more than PCs for the first time last January. Internet traffic from mobile devices accounted for 55 percent of the country's total online usage. Mobile Internet was split between apps (47 percent) and mobile browsers (8 percent). Meanwhile, Internet traffic from PCs amounted to just 45 percent of the country's total online usage. 

Several studies already claim that people more often surf the Internet with their mobile devices rather than with their PCs. If the move towards mobile continues, it would be due in large part to China's large share of the global smartphone market. The country is the biggest market for smartphones in the world. According to projections from market data firm IDC, the country is expected to account for one-third of the world smartphone market by 2018. The company predicts that 1.8 billion smartphones would be shipped around the world that year.