In August 1958, a general-purpose vacuum tube computer (the “103 computer”) was produced by the Institute of Computing Technology and the Beijing Wired Telecommunication Factory, marking the manufacture of the first domestic general-purpose digital computer by China and the establishment of the discipline of computing technology in the country.

The 103 computer was based on technical information provided by the USSR about its M-3 mini-computer.

Then in 1960, the Institute of Computing Technology developed the “107 computer”. This was the first general-purpose digital computer designed by China and marked the first step towards computer technology self-reliance in China.