China only recently got into the internet, but by 2007, they will have surpassed the US as the largest internet user in the world. At the same time, because they are relatively late to the game, they are short of IP addresses, something that is plentiful in the west. For this and other reasons, they are leapfrogging the US and moving to IP version 6, which carries enhanced capabilities, much greater expansion of IP addresses and better security capabilities. It could give them an edge and put the US and everyone else behind, which could have massive implications for the technological strength of the west. The US has been the leader of the internet, but it could become a follower if it doesn;t act soon. China Builds a Better Internet - Editorial - http://www.cio.com/archive/071506/china.html