On September 20, 1987, Professor Qian Tianbai from the China Ordnance Industry Computer Application Research Institute in Beijing sent an email with the following sentence:
Across the Great Wall, we can reach every corner in the world
Original text of email
This email, the first email in China, is regarded as the first "close contact" between China and the Internet. Professor Qian Tianbai is also known as the "father of China's Internet".
In fact, the network used by Qian Tianbai at that time was not the Internet backbone network independently built by China, but an international networking project jointly constructed by the Institute of Computer Application Technology and Karlsruhe University in Germany in 1986- the Chinese Academic Network (CANET).
The transmission path of this email is also quite tortuous.
After the email was sent, the first step was to cross half the globe and enter the ITAPAC main network in Italy through the PAD machine located on the Beijing side of the Italian public grouping network ITAPAC. Then, enter the DATEX-P group network in Germany. Finally, arrived at Karlsruhe University. At that time, the speed of this line was only 300bps.
In any case, this email is the prelude to the Internet era in China. Since then, more and more domestic universities and research institutes have begun to join in the research of the Internet and try to build a larger computer network.
Technological exploration, gradual progress
In early 1988, the Chinese Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications officially established the first X.25 packet switched network in China - CNPAC, covering cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Xi'an, Wuhan, Chengdu, Nanjing, and Shenzhen.
In the same year, the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences adopted the X.25 protocol to connect its DECnet (a small-scale computer network launched by DEC Corporation) with the DECnet of the Western European Center, achieving international remote networking of computers and email communication with Europe and North America.
In December, the campus network of Tsinghua University adopted the email software package (using X.400 protocol) introduced by Professor Hu Daoyuan from UBC University in Canada, and connected to UBC University in Canada through the X.25 network, opening an email application.
In May 1989, the China Research Network (CRN) achieved interconnection with the German Research Network (DFN) through the then Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications' CNPAC. With the help of DFN's gateway, CRN can communicate with the Internet.
In 1991, the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences adopted the DECNET protocol, using X Connected to the LIVEMORE laboratory at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) in the United States using 25 methods, and launched an email application.
The establishment of one connection after another has inspired countrymen. However, these connections can only be considered as "indirect Internet connections" or "single function (email) connections", and are not truly "complete direct Internet connections".
Later, the academic community and government quickly began attempts to establish a complete direct connection.
In October 1989, the Zhongguancun Education and Research Demonstration Network Project was officially launched. The project is financed by the World Bank and invested and supported by the National Planning Commission (the National Planning Commission), the National Education Commission (the National Education Commission), the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Natural Science Foundation. The World Bank has named it the National Computing and Networking Facility of China, also known as NCFC.
At the end of 1992, NCFC completed the construction of three university networks (CASNET, TUNET, and PUNET). One year later, the NCFC backbone network project was completed, and high-speed optical cables and routers were used to achieve interconnection between the three university networks.
Next, the goal of NCFC is to directly connect to the Internet.
Overcoming resistance and ultimately achieving success
As we all know, the Internet originated from the United States. Although it was called the Internet, it was actually under the control of the United States at that time. If China wants to truly connect to the Internet, it must obtain the consent of the United States.
Academic figures from both China and the United States are very positive about China's connection to the Internet.
In October 1991, at the China US High Energy Physics Annual Conference, US spokesperson Walter Torkey proposed that China should access the Internet as soon as possible.
In June 1992, at the INET '92 annual conference held in Kobe, Japan, researcher Qian Hualin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences met with the head of the International Networking Department of the National Science Foundation of the United States, and formally proposed for the first time that he wanted to connect to the Internet.
As a result, China's request was met with opposition from the US political arena.
The reason for their opposition is that they believe that China from the socialist camp will use the Internet to steal information and technological research achievements from the United States.
After repeated negotiations and communication, the US reluctantly agreed to establish a dedicated line connection first. The United States has put forward strict requirements for this dedicated line: 1. It can only connect to the Energy Science Network (ESNET); 2. Do not spread the virus; 3. Not to be used in military and commercial fields.
For long-term considerations, China has accepted these conditions. On March 2, 1993, the 64K dedicated line connecting the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) in the United States was officially opened, becoming the first dedicated line in China to partially connect to the Internet.
In June 1993, NCFC experts reiterated China's requirement for "full functional internet connectivity" at the INET'93 annual meeting, taking advantage of various opportunities and gaining the support of most attendees, greatly promoting the progress of the project.
In early April 1994, the China US Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation was held in Washington, D.C. Before the meeting, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hu Qiheng, reiterated on behalf of China to the National Science Foundation (NSF) of the United States the requirement to connect to the Internet, which was recognized by the United States. At this point, all obstacles have been eliminated.
On April 20, 1994, the 64K international satellite dedicated line connecting NCFC to the Internet was officially opened (via Sprint in the United States), achieving full functionality connectivity with the Internet.
Since that day, China has officially entered the Internet world, and is recognized as the 77th country that truly has a full-featured Internet.
One month later, on May 21st, the Computer Network Information Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences completed the setup of China's National Top Level Domain (CN) servers, changing the history of China's CN top-level domain servers being located abroad. The top-level domain name CN in China was officially registered on SRI-NIC by Professor Qian Tianbai on behalf of China on November 28, 1990
After NCFC was connected to the Internet, the Chinese Academy of Sciences further expanded it.
In April 1995, the Chinese Academy of Sciences launched the Beijing External Unit Networking Project (referred to as the "Hundred Institute Networking Project"), with the goal of expanding the network to 24 cities across the country on the basis of more than 30 research institutes already connected to the network in Beijing, achieving computer interconnection among various academic institutions in China and connecting with the Internet.
In February 1996, the Chinese Academy of Sciences made a decision to officially rename the Internet developed on the basis of NCFC as "CSTNet".