China added 50.9 million Internet users in 2012, bringing the total to 564 million at the end of last year, official data showed Tuesday.

The mobile Internet surfing population increased 18.1 percent to 420 million, with mobile phones becoming the primary channel for Web surfing, the China Internet Network Information Center reported.

The number of people using a mobile phone to shop online increased 1.36-fold in 2012 from a year ago.

By the end of 2012, the number of online shoppers had reached 242 million, an increase of 24.8 percent year on year.

Meanwhile, the risks of phishing websites and online fraud can not be underestimated, according to the report.

Micro-blogging surged, with the number of users rising 58.73 million to 309 million, the report said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2013)