China Celebrates 30 Years of Global Internet Access with High-Level Dialogue

On April 19, 2024, a high-level dialogue titled “From Gateway to Galaxy: Charting the Future” was held at the birthplace of Internet in China – the Computer Network Information Center (CNIC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) to mark the 30th anniversary of China’s full access to the world wide web. The event celebrated the remarkable achievements and transformations of China’s Internet industry over the past 30 years, particularly in the last decade under the visionary leadership of the Communist Party of China General Secretary Xi Jinping in leveraging the power of the Internet.

Photo taken on April 19 shows a high-level dialogue titled “From Gateway to Galaxy: Charting the Future” being held at the Computer Network Information Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. (Photo provided by The Beijing News)

Chen Yunji, Deputy Director of the CAS Network Information Office, highlighted in his speech the pivotal moment on April 20, 1994, when a 64K private line of the CAS successfully connected to the international Internet, making China the 77th member of the global Internet community. As a trailblazer in Internet technology, CAS has played a crucial role in advancing the Internet and fostering technological innovation. Chen underscored that CAS would align itself with the country’s major strategic objectives, lead in technology, enhance foundational IT capabilities, and grow digitally. This includes building a smart, interactive “Information Network for Scientific Research” and an AI platform encompassing data, models, and algorithms. Additionally, efforts will continue to promote the application of the “China Science and Technology Cloud” to enhance the robust digital infrastructure for innovation and build a country that is technologically self-reliant and digitally empowered.

Fan Xiaowei, Director of the Network Communication Bureau under the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, underscored in his speech the symbiotic relationship between China’s Internet and its socio-economic progress over the past three decades. From a modest beginning to its current prominence, the Internet has propelled the nation’s progress, affirming the fact that “China’s Internet thrives when the nation thrives.” He emphasized the imperative of aligning high-quality growth with robust content creation to harness the collective energy of national construction and rejuvenation in cyberspace. Respecting netizens’ contributions and aspirations, as he put it, will enable the hundreds of millions connected to share the benefits of Internet, empowering more individuals to become content creators, and tapping the constructive potentials of their voices. Fan called for leveraging new technologies to enhance content creation, positioning the Internet as a vital platform for promoting fine cultures and disseminating positive energy, thereby fostering a vibrant digital community for hundreds of millions of netizens.

In his address, Li Degang, Deputy Director General of the Beijing Municipal Cyberspace Commission, reflected on the intertwined journey of China’s Internet and the city of Beijing over the past three decades. Highlighting Beijing’s role in spearheading the nation’s digital transformation, he advocated for leveraging high-quality contents, cutting-edge technologies, and effective dissemination channels to evoke a sense of connectivity and resonance among netizens. Li underscored the importance of presenting a comprehensive and multifaceted narrative of the evolution and achievements of the Internet in the past decades, and consolidating Beijing’s lead in innovation-driven, digital development.

Sun Ninghui, a researcher at the CAS Institute of Computing Technology and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), highlighted the ongoing technological revolution and industrial transformation. He emphasized the rapid advancements in big data, cloud computing, industrial Internet, blockchain, and artificial intelligence, which have propelled the world into a new era of digitization, networking, and intelligence. Sun appealed for a sense of urgency and a strong sense of mission, along with self-confidence, self-improvement, and innovation. He called for intensifying R&D efforts in network information technology, grasping key core technologies, and striving to lead the global wave of Internet, thereby transforming China into a strong Internet power.

The high-level dialogue also saw all four Chinese inductees to the “Internet Hall of Fame” sharing the same stage for the first time – CAE academician and CAS former vice president Hu Qiheng; researcher Qian Hualin, former deputy director of CNIC; CAE academician Wu Jianping; and Professor Li Xing from Tsinghua University’s Department of Electronic Engineering. During the event, CAS academician Guo Huadong, Deputy Party Secretary of Haidian District Yang Renquan, and Sohu founder Zhang Chaoyang delivered keynote speeches focusing on the Internet’s historical achievements and prospects. Staff from Lenovo Group and Jingdong Express, as well as popular science video bloggers, shared their experiences with the Internet. With a view of amplifying the voice of the event, a number of mainstream websites also launched a communications campaign titled “Positive Energy Online”

Photo taken on April 19 shows researcher Qian Hualin, former deputy director of CNIC; CAE academician and former vice president of CAS Hu Qiheng; CAE academician Wu Jianping; and Professor Li Xing from Tsinghua University’s Department of Electronic Engineering, from left to right. (Photo provided by The Beijing News)

Participating experts and officials inaugurated a plaque for the exhibition marking China’s full-scale connection to the global Internet, leveraging scene restorations, physical displays, historical archives, and other exhibits, the exhibition introduces the nation’s early exploration, research, and eventual integration into the world wide web.

The event also saw the launch of an online publicity campaign marking the 30th anniversary of China’s full integration into the Internet. Journalists and online influencers will soon roll out a series of reports and stories about China’s three-decades journey in cyberspace, injecting more positive energy and inspiring netizens to contribute to the nation’s digital empowerment and progress.

Photo taken on April 19 shows the launch of an online publicity campaign marking the 30th anniversary of China’s full integration into the Internet at the Computer Network Information Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. (Photo provided by The Beijing News)

The event is guided by the Network Communication Bureau under the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and the CAS Network Information Office. It is co-sponsored by the CAS Computer Network Information Center, and the Haidian District Branch of the Beijing Municipal Cyberspace Affairs Commission, and co-organized by entities such as the CAS Institute of High Energy Physics, the China Science Popularization Expo, Shell Finance, and Beijing.com.cn. Relevant departments of the Beijing municipality and key Internet platforms in Beijing also participated in the event.