China crossed another milestone during the second quarter of 2011, becoming the world’s biggest consumer of PCs in the world, according to new market research by IDC. Computer makers shipped about 18.5 million PCs to China in the second quarter, compared with 17.7 million in the U.S.  While the U.S. is still expected to be the world’s largest market for the full year, it is likely lose that distinction next year. IDC forecasts that 85.2 million PCs will be shipped to China compared with 76.6 million in the U.S. in 2012. China already has the world’s largest Internet population, having surpassed the U.S. in 2008.

“China’s lead in the PC market is a huge shift that reflects the rising fortunes of emerging markets as well as the relative stagnation of more mature regions,” said Loren Loverde, an IDC vice president. “While the immediate economic circumstances in the US and other markets had a significant impact on the timing of China’s move to the lead, they have not changed the trend, but accelerated it,” he added to AFP.

Accelerating on the buzz, Chinese PC maker Lenovo, became the world’s third-largest PC maker in the second quarter, growing much faster than the other major PC makers, according to IDC. Now aiming for the worldwide number 2 slot, China’s largest PC maker by market share, announced it will open more than 1,200 new stores in smaller Chinese cities and counties this year to strengthen its presence in the world’s biggest PC market, and wipe our competition from Dell Inc and Apple Inc on its home turf.

China has 700 million rural residents, accounting for more than half of the country’s population. However, less than 10 per cent of rural residents have access to computers, compared with 96.5 per cent in first and second-tier cities.