BEIJING - China's mobile phone shipments returned to growth in May, ending 14 straight months of decline, according to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.

Altogether 37.8 million mobile phones were sold to dealers in the domestic market last month, up 1.2 percent year-on-year, according to a report released by the academy.

Of the total, there were 36.1 million 4G mobile phones, up 1.7 percent from a year earlier.

Smart phone shipments reached 36 million, up 1.7 percent and accounting for 95 percent of all shipments.

China has more mobile Internet users than any other country, 753 million as of the end of 2017.

The country has the world's largest 4G network and is still striving for further expansion, with the goal of adding 450,000 new 4G base stations this year to improve signal coverage in buildings, elevators and other indoor spaces, as well as on railroads and expressways.