Web gives economy a new boost

Internet-enabled technologies and business models have given China's economy a new burst of momentum and changed the nature of growth, experts said.

New internet applications could surge from a single digit to up to 22 percent of China's GDP growth through to 2025, according to consultancy McKinsey & Co.

That reflects the power of a consumer-oriented "new economy" that relies on service industries, technological upgrading and greener lifestyles, according to Chen Yougang, a principal at McKinsey in Hong Kong.