PerspectivesonGISDevelopmentinChinaResearchesandapplicationsofGeographicInformationSystems(GIS)inChinastartedintheearly1980s.Intheearlyperiod,thedevelopmentofGISwasmainlydependedontheprogressandapplicationsofremotesensing,aerialphotography,aswellascomputeraideddesign(CAD).Inrecentyears,withthedevelopmentofGPSandInternettechnology,GIShasbeingdevelopedvigorouslyinthecountry.Lookingaheadtothe21stcentury,aneweraof"DigitalEarth11and”Cyberspace"iscoming,whichwillprovideagreatopportunityaswellasachallengetotheChina""sGIScircles.1.ProgressPaceofGISResearchesofGISinChinacandatebacktotheearly1980.Atthattime,aremotesensingapplicationprojectwasbeingcarriedoninSouthwestChinaandusingGISmethodintegratedwithremotesensingdatatosolvetheareameasurementautomaticallywasinitiated.AfterthefirstsuccessfultestofGIS,aproposaltostartGISresearchwasproposedintheChineseAcademyofSciences(CAS).SincethenagreatsuccesshasbeenachievedbothinresearchandapplicationofGISinChina・Whileitshistoryorprogresspacecanbedividedintofourperiods.From1981・1985,itistheinitialperiodofGISinChina・Duringthisperiod,GISwasmainlykeepinresearchandexperimentalstage,anumberofscientistsinCASandsomehighlearninginstitutesstartedtofollowthetracksofGISdevelopmentinworld.WiththesupportoftheStateScienceandTechnologyCommission(SSTC)andCAS,anumberofresearchprojectswereinitiatedandconducted,leadingtobuildupsometypicalcaseinformationsystems.Inthisperiodfivesystematicalandexperimentalresearcheshadbeenconducted・Thosearegeo-datacapturemethodsjegionalinformationsystemmodeling,nationalbasicgeographicdatabasesbuilding,developmentofgeo-analysissoftwareandnationalgeographicdatastandardsandspecifications.WhilethemostinfluentialoneofthoseresearcheswastheformulationofadraftGIStechnologyspecification,inwhichover50scientistsandspecialistshadbeeninvolved.ThefirstStateKeyLaboratoryofGISwassetupintheInstituteofGeography,CAS,providinganopenandnewtyperesearchlaboratoryspecializedinGISinthecountry.Also,alargenumberofGISpersonnelhadgottrained,andsomeofthemareleadingedgespecialiststoday.Inthe1986・1990period,theimportanceofGIStechnologyhadbeengenerallygotrecognizedbygovernmentalofficialsatdifferentlevels,andmorescientistsstartedtoadoptthistechnologyasatoolfortheirresearches・IncarryingoutastatekeyresearchprogramonremotesensingapplicationsupportedbytheStatePlanningCommissionandSSTC,anationallevelGISresearchprojectwasinitiatedwithintheprogram.Theprojectwasmainlyfocusedonfloodforecastingandpreventionmethods,soilerosiononLoessPlateauandThreeNorthForestBel匸Theobjectsoftheseresearchesweretoprovideregionalplanningandmanagementaswellasdecision-makingservicestothegovernments・Also,duringthisperiod,somenationallevelsystems,suchasnationalbasicresourcedatabase,landresourcesdatabase,mineralresourcesandforestresourcedatabaseshadbeenbuiltup.Itshouldbenoticedthatthebuildingofthesesystemswasundertheplanningeconomicsystem.Atthisperiodallthebuiltsystemswereinthedomainofpublicwelfareandsupportedbythegovernmentalfunds.TherewasnoideaaboutGISindustry.Besidepersonneltrainingandresearchsitesbuilding,theachievementsofthisperiodincludethefollowingtwoaspects:(1)Alargenumberofgeographicrelateddatabaseshadbeendesignedandbuilt,including1:1millionChinalandresourcesinformationsystem,1:2.5millionwaterandsoilreserveinformationsystemand1:4millionnaturalresourcesandenvironmentaldatabaseandearth...