Information technology in China

New industrial technology revolution has turned information industry into supporting industry of almost every nation, as well as penetrated information technology widely into every aspect of national economy and social life. The diffusing of information technology is a gradualprocess, which experienced the development process from passive to active, spontaneity to consciousness, part to whole.
After 2000, China put forward the strategy of driving the development of industry by informatization during the period of the tenth "Five- Year Plan", and established strategy program for the development of national informatizaion. It also brought forward"putting national economic and social informatization to the priority position","enhanced promoting national economic and social informatizaion is the strategy measure covered the whole modernization process". Under the promotion of government, information technology is widely applied in every aspect of national economy and social life, China's informationizaton has achieved new development.
1. Application of information technology in Government
From central to local government was all regard Government Online as a very important project in 1999, E-governing project is underway. The rapid development of information technology is promoting E-governing changing from traditional OA, MIS system to virtual E-governing. Government-Online Project has greatly boosted the efficiency and enhanced the transparency of government work, and has provided strong technologic and consulting support for improving information management and service of government. Until 2001, 50% government institutions have established their own websites. 12 ministries and commissions of State Department has already have online service, more than 90% of the ministries and commissions have information bulletins or database inquiry, To the end of 2001, there are 5864 English domain names ending with gov.cn. Government-Online Project, as a key part of the process of E-Governing, has been greatly pushing our government to make a big step toward network age.
2. Banking
After 10 years’ hard work, Golden Card project of bank , as a crucial part of government promoting informatization, has gained great achievement: 88 national commercial banks, postalsaving banks, part of cities’ commercial banks, and country credit societies have bank cards business and establish bank card information centers in 18 cities nationwide, 100 cities basically realized cross-bank use of bank card and sharing of infrastructures in local cities. To the end of 2002, issuing volume of bankcards has reached 497 million. At the same time, commercial bank made full use of network resources, established telephone bank, network bank, enterprise bank, self-help bank, client bank center, basically realized online financial business.
3. Transportation
Application level of electronic information technology in our transportation systems of railway, highway, aviation, and shipping increases continuously. The scale of information system booking disposition of China Civil Aviation has list top 10 in world, distributing network covers all around the world that has produced sound economic and social benefit. The most complicated and huge railway ticket-selling system in world has put in to full-scale application, electronic information technology has become the key tool to boost railway management efficiency; Main ports and Ocean transportation companies have widely used EDI system, realized main business paperless handling.
4. Education
On the basis of CERNET and Satellite Video Frequency system, the modern education
network platform has been formed basically, connected to 160 cities, 895 units, and above 100 universities connected with 100M speed, host computer 0.8million, user 7million. CERNET has become the second largest public Internet in China. 70% universities have built up different levels and scales campus networks. Until 1999 30 million primitive and middle school students have received information technology education, 2.04 million people have their own PC and 4600 high schools have set up campus networks. China Education Research NET, China Science and Technology NET have had the ability to provide the network which covers most of our universities, research institutes、academic institutes and part of primitive and high school.
From above several aspects, we can draw a conclusion that information technology is widely applied in China and will be developed quickly than before, and it will play more important role in our life.