China's digital publishing industry was expected to record an annual growth rate of 50 percent in revenue in the next few years despite the international economic downturn, said a senior publication official Tuesday.

    Sun Shoushan, vice director of the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP), said the revenue of the digital publishing sector was expected to exceed 75 billion yuan (10.98 billion U.S. dollars) in 2009.

    Revenue for the industry hit 53 billion yuan in 2008, up 46 percent year-on-year, the administration's figures showed.

    "Digital publishing is emerging as a new economic growth point for the country's publishing industry," he said.

    The digital publishing industry included the digitalization of traditional publishing products, such as newspapers, books and cell phone text messages, and new digital media.

    Sun estimated the number of users of digital publishing products would grow by 30 percent annually in the next few years with the popularization of digital technology.

    About 90 percent of China's 578 publishing houses have digital products, he said.

    Among 40 newspapers covered by a national survey, 30 have their online edition and 22 have mobile newspapers sent via cell phone messages, according to the official.