BEIJING - China will soon surpass Japan to be the biggest consumer of IT products and services in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a new report.

China's expenditure on IT is gradually approaching Japan's, and it will hit $173 billion in 2013, about 4 percent higher than Japan, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).

In the report, published on May 17, the IDC attributes China's growth in IT consumption to increasing consumer need and government support for the sector.

Wu Lianfeng, assistant vice president of IDC China, said, driven by the popularity of intelligent terminals such as the latest mobile phones and tablet computers, China's personal consumption of IT products in 2012 will increase by 29.8 percent year on year.

The growing need for terminals will inspire enterprises to develop more advanced IT, according to Wu.

IDC China General Manager Huo Jinjie added that the central government will promote informatization levels during the following five years, which will bring more opportunities for the development of the IT market.