The Development and Improvement of China’s First Digital Electronic Computer

The Model Bayi (103) digital electronic computer (abbreviated as the 103 computer) was China’s first manufactured small-scale general-purpose digital electronic computer based on the Soviet M-3 computer. It was jointly developed by the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Beijing Wired Power Plant. Through three major upgrades, the computer’s operational speed increased from 30 operations per second to 1500 and eventually 2300 operations per second. The 103 computer played a significant role in China’s weapons development, weather forecasting, hydraulic engineering design, and road design. It also helped train a group of computer technicians, laying a foundation for China’s future self-reliant development in computer technology. This article argues that the development process of the 103 computer exemplifies the early “task-driven” development model in China’s computer industry. This approach enabled technologically late-starting nations to achieve rapid technological catch-up under suitable scientific policy conditions. Furthermore, Soviet technical assistance was a crucial factor in the rapid completion of the 103 computer. China’s digestion and absorption of Soviet technology, combined with a persistent commitment to self-reliance, made the 103 computer a testament to the localization of Soviet computer technology in China.