Demand for Internet in China countryside

Earlier this year, China rolled out a plan to subsidize its rural population in the purchase of electrical appliances to boost sales. It has now extended the program to computers.

Tucked away in the mountains far from the city center, residents in Huilongqiao village in Chongqing make their living growing crops or working for factories in between harvests.

An estimated 30% of the 4,000 households in the village own computers.

Channelnewsasia.com reports that Hewlett Packard is one of the companies which has set its sights on the countryside. It is setting up 100 centers in China's villages to teach IT skills.

Todd Bradley, executive vice president, HP's Personal Systems Group, said: 'I'm very focused on introducing HP products to as many new Chinese customers as possible.

'Our ability to invest in what's one of the most difficult economic cycles in a long time will make us a stronger company when the recession ends.

And for the villagers, the rewards will perhaps be as enriching as their harvests