WUHAN - China now has more than 300 million registered micro blog users, according to statistics released Monday at the 11th China Internet Media Forum in the central province of Hubei.

With a theme of promoting the development of Internet media and the prosperity of online culture, the forum kicked off in the city of Wuhan on Monday. The two-day event has attracted about 300 officials, experts and Internet media managers.

At about 485 million, China has the world's most Internet users, and it also has the world's largest Internet infrastructure, said Zhang Xinsheng, an official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The country has seen a boom in its micro blog sphere over the last two years. While the micro blog is about self-expression and networking, it has also evolved into a platform for advertising, government services, and news dissemination.

Qian Xiaoqian, deputy head of the State Council Information Office, said China is facing a new challenge in considering how to regulate its micro blog sphere in order to promote the development of micro blog services and create a civilized online environment.