BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan on Monday called for a larger role of the Internet in the building of a well-off society.

    "During recent years, the Internet has developed rapidly in China, penetrated deeply into our life and played an significant role in enhancing life quality," Zeng said at the opening ceremony of the China Internet Conference.

    Zeng called for a "good construction, use and regulation" of the Internet under the guidance of the scientific concept of development proposed by President Hu Jintao, improving the infrastructure of information technology and strengthening technological innovation.

    China has 162 million Internet users, making up about 12.3 percent of the total population, up 39 million or 31.7 percent over 2000.