China had close to 600 million fixed and mobile phone users by the end of June this year.

Statistics released from the Ministry of Information Industry show 30 million new telephone users signed up for services in the first six months of the year.

Experts point out, however, that access to telephones remains very low in rural areas, which has encouraged the ministry to ensure most villages have telephones by 2005.

It also aims to make every household in China have a phone by 2020.