IETF

Summary

This session featured presentations from five co-hosting organizations: CNNIC, Tsinghua University, the Computer Network Information Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CNIC-CAS), the China Communications Standards Association (CCSA), and the Internet Society of China (ISC). The discussion focused on the history of Internet development in China, technical contributions to IETF standards (specifically in DNS, IPv6 transition, and routing security), and the "IETF Talent Development Program" aimed at increasing participation from young engineers and students.

Key Discussion Points

CNNIC and AI-Agent Naming

Jiankang Yao provided an overview of CNNIC's role as the ccTLD registry for .cn and .中国.
Discussion on the intersection of DNS and AI. Jiankang Yao argued that AI agents function as "super apps" that still require naming and locating within the TCP/IP framework.
Reference was made to the side meeting, Interconnecting and Discovery of AI Agents on the Internet, noting that while discovery may require new technologies, DNS remains a standard for naming in the future of AI agent networking.

Tsinghua University: Scaling and Securing the Architecture

Professor Yong Cui detailed Tsinghua’s involvement in running CERNET (1, 2, and 3) and transitioning from IPv4 to IPv6.
Technical Contributions:
- Initiated the Softwire Working Group for 4-over-6 tunneling technologies.
- Contributed to the Behave Working Group regarding translation mechanisms (IVI).
- Formed the SAVI (Source Address Validation Improvement) working group and recently the SAVNET (Source Address Validation in Intra-domain and Inter-domain Networks) working group to mitigate IP spoofing.
The university has contributed over 20 RFCs and hosted IETF 79 in Beijing.

CNIC-CAS: Bridging Academia and Industry

Yanbiao Li discussed CSTNet, which connects research infrastructures in China.
RPKI-ROV Optimization: CNIC identified performance issues in RFC 6811 (BGP Prefix Origin Validation). The "cover-first then match" model in RFC 6811 delays valid routes as coverage grows. CNIC proposed a "match-first then cover" model using a hierarchical hashing scheme to accelerate validation.
Satellite Networking: Development of a virtual satellite network emulator for testing constellation architectures and new protocols using hardware-in-the-loop verification.

CCSA Standards and IETF Alignment

Zhaoshi Zhu explained the structure of CCSA and its relationship with IETF and ITU-T.
CCSA actively adopts and transforms mature IETF RFCs into industry standards in China.
In 2021, CCSA established a dedicated IPv6 standards working group focusing on address management, security, and industrial application, having issued 38 national standards to date.
AI in Standards: CCSA is developing an AI model to assist in reviewing draft standards and translating technical documents between Chinese and English to improve efficiency.

IETF Talent Development Program

David (ISC) and Professor Yong Cui highlighted the IETF Talent Development Program. For the current meeting, the program supported 59 students (including 13 newcomers).
The program aims to lower the barrier to entry (registration costs and knowledge gaps) and provide a pathway for young engineers: Learn -> Engage -> Practice -> Contribute.

Q&A and Community Feedback

Rodney Meyer inquired about the legal force of standards in China. Zhaoshi Zhu and Jiankang Yao clarified that CCSA often adopts IETF RFCs directly to ensure global harmony and encourages members to contribute local innovations back to the IETF first.
Charles Eckel asked about student engagement with the IETF Hackathon. Jiankang Yao confirmed that the feedback from newcomers has been excellent and the Hackathon is a key entry point for students.
George Caragiannis asked about the long-term sustainability of the talent program. The presenters expressed a commitment to continue supporting young participants to ensure the next generation of Internet leadership.

Decisions and Action Items

No formal technical decisions were made during this informational lunch session.

Next Steps

Talent Cultivation: Continued collaboration between CNNIC, Tsinghua, CCSA, Huawei, ZTE, and ISC to support the Talent Development Program for future IETF meetings.
Technical Proposals: Ongoing research into AI-Agent discovery and naming to be potentially brought to relevant IETF working groups.
Standardization: Continued alignment of CCSA batch-2 IPv6 standards with international technical trends.