The twelfth lunar month 20 (Rat), January 28, 1997, China's first international terrestrial fiber optic cable is officially opened.

1997, 28, (history cn) in northern China city of Harbin and the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk end the history of the long-standing communication via Beijing and Moscow then turn through the fiber optic cable between China and Russia TV images of the cable opening ceremony passed directly to each other, and also marks the official opening of the first international terrestrial fiber optic cable.
Sino-Russian optical cable from the Harbin Economic Fuyuan across the Sino-Russian border Ussuri River to Khabarovsk, a total length of 970 km, including 820 km of Chinese territory. It is connected through the communication system of their respective countries to Beijing and Moscow, and connected with other international fiber optic cable in the world, constitute part of the international fiber optic cable.
friendly exchanges to promote bilateral political, economic and cultural exchanges between the two peoples as well as the completion and opening of the Sino-Russian optical cable will greatly improve and facilitate international communication services between China and Russia.