Chinese academicians accredited the country's top scientific development in 2006 to the breakthrough in next generation Internet, which can largely reduce the nation's dependence on foreign hi-tech companies.

The annual list of "Top Ten Scientific Events" was unveiled in Beijing on Sunday, voted out by 565 scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Last September, China announced its CERNET2 (China Education and Research Network 2) network had linked 25 universities in 20 cities through the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).

It can replace the widely-used Ipv4 network, and offers unlimited Internet addresses, more advanced security, and easier administration, experts said, calling it a progress with strategic significance by ending reliance on foreign technologies in Internet development.

The other events listed in the top-ten include the discovery of large natural gas field in southwestern Sichuan, the establishment of full superconducting experimental Tokamak fusion device, the observation of Feshbach Resonace in the F+H2->HF+H Reaction, the afforestry of Taklimakanthe desert, the return of oceanic science exploration ship "Dayang Yihao (Ocean No. 1)", the research of Hepatitis B vaccine, the breakthrough in electron-positron accelerator, the realization of quantum teleportation of a two- qubit composite system, and the launched of a remote sensing satellite.

(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2007)