Global artificial intelligence (AI) development has entered a decisive phase, one that is rapidly reshaping the balance of technological power. Since 2023, China has accelerated its AI outreach in ways that go far beyond domestic innovation, signaling its ambition to play a leading role in creating a new global digital order. This shift is not simply about competing with the United States in technology; it’s about redefining how AI is developed, governed, and shared internationally.

At the heart of China’s strategy lies a vision that blends cutting-edge technology, long-term state planning, and proactive diplomacy. AI is positioned not merely as a tool for industrial competitiveness but as a central pillar of modernization, social transformation, and global cooperation. Beijing’s approach stands in stark contrast to the US model, which remains focused on maintaining technological dominance through export restrictions, proprietary advantage, and competitive containment.

China’s AI ambitions are neither impulsive nor recent. In 2017, the Chinese government released the New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan, a strategic roadmap to make the country the world’s AI leader by 2030. By then, the AI industry and related sectors are projected to reach a staggering $1.4 trillion in value.

This plan recognizes AI as the answer to key domestic challenges – from an aging population to slowing productivity growth – and as a driver for upgrading China’s economic model into a more advanced, innovation-driven stage. The foundation rests on four critical factors: abundant data, a growing and diversified energy supply, strong computing power, and a skilled workforce.

China already holds significant advantages in three of these areas. Its enormous population generates vast data resources; its energy sector continues to expand with heavy investment in renewables and diversified sources; and its labor force is particularly strong in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The weakest link – high-end computing hardware – remains a focal point of Western export controls, but Beijing is heavily investing in self-reliance to close the gap.

The........

© Blitz