A World Health Organization official said 12 percent of deaths in Chinese males were tobacco-related and the number may rise significantly, Guangming Daily reported.

About 50.4 percent of Chinese men smoke and 340 million Chinese are at risk of tobacco-related mortality, said Bernhard Schwartlaender, WHO representative in China, at a news conference.

Schwartlaender said at another news conference that China is the world's largest tobacco consumer, accounting for 38 percent global tobacco consumption.

That amount is even more than the four next-largest tobacco consumers combined, he said.

Schwartlaender also said China produces 41 percent of the world's cigarettes and 43 percent of tobacco-related products, surpassing the total output of the next nine biggest tobacco producers.