It can be said that in its initial stages, my country's laser technology developed rapidly. Both in quantity and quality, it approached the international level at the time. Such rapid progress in catching up with the world's advanced levels in an innovative technology is rare in the history of modern Chinese science and technology. These achievements, especially the successful transformation of physical concepts and technical solutions into actual laser devices, were mainly due to the comprehensive capabilities and solid foundation accumulated by the Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics over many years in technical optics, precision mechanics, and electronic technology. Without sufficient technological support, the development of a new technology is unlikely to gain significant traction.
From the very beginning, the laser technology sector received high attention from leadership and scientific management departments. Zhang Jingfu, then Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, proposed the idea of establishing a specialized laser research institute, which was quickly approved by the State Science and Technology Commission and the State Planning Commission. Vice Premier Nie Rongzhen, in charge of science and technology, also specifically instructed that the research institute should be built in Shanghai, where there is a good industrial base, which is conducive to the development of this new technology.