New figures have shown that over 300 million Chinese people read on digital devices in 2016, 12.3 percent more than the year before, reports China Youth Daily.

According to the 2016 China digital reading white paper released last week, young people born in the 1980s and 1990s are the main users of digital reading technology, making up 64.1 percent of the market.

Statistics showed 60.3 percent of digital readers were willing to pay for the contents they like, and 70 percent among them spent more than half an hour reading each time.

The white paper showed that the development of information technology has boosted the surge of digital reading, saying that artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality have offered an unprecedented reading experience to users.

It was reported last year that more Chinese read digital books than paper books.

Many readers go to book stores to look at new books and best sellers, but then turn to searching for electronic versions online, according to a China Central Television report.

The report also said that for many lovers of e-reading, it is easier to find digital resources online, and it's convenient to read e-books on mobile phones.

Zhang Yijun, director of the Department of Digital Publishing of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), said digital reading is undergoing a surge in development in China. He said with government support, better e-books, and more people reading on digital devices, digital reading can be expected to see a 20-percent increase.

Twenty provinces in China have issued concrete policies to boost digital reading. The SARFT has approved the launch of 20 key publishing laboratories, and will establish 34 digital platforms to promote e-reading.