A message identification method, wherein the method comprises: sending, by an access network device, a paging message to a user equipment, UE; receiving, by the access network device, a NAS message sent by the UE based on the paging message; determining, by the access network device, a core network entity to which the NAS message belongs in a plurality of core network entities of the access network device; and sending, by the access network device, the NAS message to the core network entity to which the NAS message belongs, wherein the determining, by the access network device, a core network entity to which the NAS message belongs in a plurality of core network entities of the access network device comprises: receiving, by the access network device, a radio resource control, RRC, message sent by the UE, wherein the RRC message transfers the NAS message, and the RRC comprises a type identification information of the core network entity to which the NAS message belongs, whereby the type identification information identifies the type of NAS which has sent the NAS message and the type of NAS is either of type EPC or of type NG-Core; and determining, by the access network device based on the type identification information, the core network entity to which the NAS message belongs in the plurality of core network entities of the access network device and wherein the plurality of core networks entities comprises an EPC entity and an NG-Core entity. sending, by an access network device, a paging message to a user equipment, UE; receiving, by the access network device, a NAS message sent by the UE based on the paging message; determining, by the access network device, a core network entity to which the NAS message belongs in a plurality of core network entities of the access network device; and sending, by the access network device, the NAS message to the core network entity to which the NAS message belongs, wherein the determining, by the access network device, a core network entity to which the NAS message belongs in a plurality of core network entities of the access network device comprises: receiving, by the access network device, a radio resource control, RRC, message sent by the UE, wherein the RRC message transfers the NAS message, and the RRC comprises a type identification information of the core network entity to which the NAS message belongs, whereby the type identification information identifies the type of NAS which has sent the NAS message and the type of NAS is either of type EPC or of type NG-Core; and determining, by the access network device based on the type identification information, the core network entity to which the NAS message belongs in the plurality of core network entities of the access network device and wherein the plurality of core networks entities comprises an EPC entity and an NG-Core entity. receiving, by the access network device, a radio resource control, RRC, message sent by the UE, wherein the RRC message transfers the NAS message, and the RRC comprises a type identification information of the core network entity to which the NAS message belongs, whereby the type identification information identifies the type of NAS which has sent the NAS message and the type of NAS is either of type EPC or of type NG-Core; and determining, by the access network device based on the type identification information, the core network entity to which the NAS message belongs in the plurality of core network entities of the access network device and wherein the plurality of core networks entities comprises an EPC entity and an NG-Core entity.