The trajectory of technological exchanges and modern communication technologies in the context of opening up to the outside world in the late Qing and early Republic of China

Abstract

Abstract During the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, the development of communication technology was closely correlated with societal progress. The social turmoil in the late Qing and early Republican periods, the social situation of “internal and external problems,” and the trend of “coming in” and “going out” of technological exchanges contributed to the introduction of modern communication technology, newspapers and magazines, and the establishment of the telegraph and the telephone. This led to the introduction of modern communication technology, represented by the telegraph and telephone, as well as the rise and establishment of newspapers and magazines. The national telegraph and the May Fourth Movement further enhanced the influence of the telegraph and communication technology on social development. The study analyzes the sources of funds, the number of subscribers, the number of telephone offices, the mileage of lines, the development of governmental telegraphs in each province, and the development of telegraphs in each country. It explores the development trend of communication technology in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, taking into account the interactions between the social conditions of the late Qing Dynasty and the development of telegraphs. Based on the monthly revenue of the telephone bureau, the Beijing Telephone Bureau’s installation fee in 1909 was approximately 1,799 yuan, with the telephone fee and the Electricity Bureau’s appropriation primarily financing its construction. Towards the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Beijing Telephone Bureau extended its telegraph lines and increased the number of users. By 1911, the telegraph lines’ mileage had reached about 99,979 miles, indicating a relatively rapid development. However, the telegraph business remained significantly behind that of other countries.