大北公司与福建通商总局在电报建设初期的合作

1871年，丹麦大北公司为发展远东的电报业务，在上海成立了分公司，将电报引入中国。在这一时期，中国官员通过接触和使用电报，并逐渐改变对电报的态度。1874年，日本出兵侵犯台湾，威胁中国海防。为了加强福州与台湾之间的联系，清政府首次允许在福建省修建陆线电报。在这一时期，福建通商总局与大北电报公司共签订了两份合同，合作修建两条陆线电报：第一条是连接福州南台和马尾罗星塔之间的电报线；另一条是福州至厦门的电报线。

The First Cooperation between Great Northern Telegraph Company and Fujian Trade Board

The Great Northern Telegraph Company in Denmark established a branch in Shanghai in 1871 and introduced telegraph into China. During the time, the officials in China started to accept and make use of telegraph and then gradually changed their attitudes to telegraph. In 1874, the Japanese invaded Taiwan and threatened Chinese coastal security, and stimulated Qing government to construct telegraph lines in Fujian in order to establish quick communication between Fuzhou and Taiwan. Later, The Fujian Trade Board made two contracts for the construction of two telegraph lines with the Great Northern Telegraph Company. One line was to ran from Nantai of Fuzhou to Luoxingta near Mawei. The other was to eormeet Fuzhou to Xiamen.