BEIJING, Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from China.org.cn on China’s three decades of internet development:

In spring three decades ago, a 64k international circuit was opened in the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and in one late night, Li Jun, who was on duty that day, realized that he had acquired access to America’s internet. The next morning, he briefed his leaders on this finding — “we are officially connected to the internet.” That day marks China becoming the 77th country with internet connection.

Back then, the scientists who witnessed the historical moment may not have foreseen that internet connection would bring earthshattering changes to the lifestyle of the Chinese people, and the development trajectory of the country.

When the internet was first opened to the public, a landline and a modem were necessary for dial-up internet access, a slow and costly solution. Later, broadband networks allowed more people to enjoy “surfing” the net; while, in the recent decade or so, the internet is within the reach of our pockets — with smart devices and mobile networks, it’s possible for nearly everyone to connect to the internet anytime at any place. During the three decades of its evolvement in China, the internet is no longer exclusively used by certain professionals, instead, it is now a handy tool that benefits the general public. Statistics show that as of the first half of 2024, China boasts nearly 1.1 billion netizens, meanwhile, the numbers of broadband network ports and base stations are increasing considerably.

The iteration of internet technologies and infrastructure has paved the way for improving living conditions, and words like “smart” and “convenient” are redefining everyday life in China. People can pick out their desired outfits online, “try them on” via AR/AI technology, and have them delivered to their doorsteps; even when they order a late-night snack, they can see real-time updates of the deliveries’ ETA; with a smartphone, one can take a taxi, rent a car, and scan themselves through the subway or even HSRs; at home, household appliances are connected by the IoT, enabling people to feed their pets or turn off the AC away from home…

The tide of “Internet Plus” is also opening up more possibilities in living experiences, while revamping healthcare and education among numerous fields, and people can see new forms of internet-based businesses. For example, in Xizang, China, the delivery service station with the highest altitude on earth supports over 7,400 farmers and herdsmen, bringing the products they bought online to the foot of Mount Qomolangma. Doctors in southern China’s Guangdong province can finish surgical procedures for a patient in Xinjiang via 5G remote robotics. Children in remote villages can join in the “same” class with students in top-ranking schools through remote education. Visually impaired people can easily skim information on the internet with screen-reading apps… When people open the book “Being Digital”, they will find, the “sci-fi life” that Nicholas Negroponte described in the 1990s, is more like a history book depicting life today.

While enabling more Chinese people to share the dividends of internet technology, China is also dedicated to linking the world through the internet, sharing the fruits of internet development with other peoples. Cross-border e-commerce cooperation has continued to unleash vitality that drives local digital transformation in Latin America; the China-ASEAN Information Harbor is seeing rapid progress; the online Silk Road economic cooperation pilot zone between China and the Arab states has brought benefits to their people… With the internet as a medium, countries can pool efforts for shared development, as well as deepening people-to-people bonds. This is also what building a community with a shared future in cyberspace requires.

The year 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of China’s World Wide Web connection, and it also ushers in the second decade of the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit. “Embracing a People-Centered and AI-for-Good Digital Future”, this is the expectation for the internet, and it is also the commitment China has made for its people and the world.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm