The internet will be divided into two different worlds within the next decade – and China will lead one of them, according to ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

The 63-year-old multi-billionaire says the censorship and control the Chinese government wields over its citizens' online access means it is incompatible with the democratic internet of the west.

This means there will be two distinct versions of the world wide web by 2028, one run by China and the other by the US.

The process is already happening, with the so-called Great Firewall of China blocking Chinese citizens from accessing several of the internet's most popular websites, including Facebook and YouTube.

Instead, Chinese equivalents such as search engine Baidu offer the web services of their banned western equivalents.

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The internet will split into two different worlds within the next decade - and China will lead one of them, according to ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt (file photo)

Schmidt, who is worth an estimated $14 billion (£10.6 billion), made the comments while speaking at a private technology conference in San Francisco hosted by Village Global VC on Wednesday.

He said the internet will likely have two clear and separate voices, rather than mass fragmentation worldwide.

'I think the most likely scenario now is not a splintering, but rather a bifurcation into a Chinese-led internet and a non-Chinese internet led by America,' Schmidt said.

'If you look at China, and I was just there, the scale of the companies that are being built, the services being built, the wealth that is being created is phenomenal.

'Chinese Internet is a greater percentage of the GDP of China, which is a big number, than the same percentage of the US, which is also a big number.'

Schmidt added that he expects to see goods and service grow offered through the web grow exponentially in China.

But Beijing's hardline rule is unlikely to waver, forcing it to lead its own version of the internet to maintain its tough stance on censorship.

'I think you're going to see fantastic leadership in products and services from China,' Schmidt said.

'There's a real danger that along with those products and services comes a different leadership regime from government, with censorship, controls, etc.'

Schmidt, 63, is worth an estimated $14 billion (£10.6 billion) and worked at Google and its parent company Alphabet for almost 17 years, holding the position of CEO and later executive chairman

The former Google executive, who worked at the company for 17 years from 2001 to 2017, regularly comments on the future of technology and his predictions for how it will shape the world.

Schmidt revealed in January that he is 'very concerned' with Russia and China's lead in the race on artificial intelligence.

He flagged the risk of their commercial and military aspirations, saying their lead in artificial intelligence could eventually help them to conquer the world.

'I'm very concerned about this,' he told an audience at BBC's Tomorrow's World Live at London's Science Museum.

'I think that both the Russian and the Chinese leaders have recognised the value of this, not just for their commercial aspirations, but also their military aspirations.

'It is very, very important that the incredible engines that exist in Europe, and Britain, wherever, United States etc, get more funding for basic research, ethics and so forth.'