Software research and development in China

The Cultural Revolution that started in 1966 halted all computer-science activity until 1976, letting China fall far behind the rest of the world. Three more years passed until equipment was installed and trained educators could begin teaching programming classes. With this base finally established, the Chinese government in 1979 developed a national plan for software research and development. A description is given of two projects established under this plan, the Integrated Software-Engineering Environment Project and the Software-Engineering Project, which will set standards and practices for computer science. They will also develop tools and technology to improve the efficiency of software development and the quality of software. Research milestones during the last few years are highlighted.<>