China says it's hoping the internet can become a major economic driver in the coming years. An official from the country's top economic planning agency said it was looking into the potential of Internet Plus – which includes areas such as cloud computing and big data – to boost online consumption.

Gao Guo, vice secretary of the National Development and Reform Commission, said, "Our goal is that within three to five years, we can improve regulation and policy for the new internet economy. By 2025, a series of cities and enterprises could be developed as models, where online shopping volumes could be greatly increased and the Internet Plus model, which has helped boost the domestic economy, could be applied in a more universal way."