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Ben Jiang

Beijing is planning “moderately proactive” technology infrastructure expansion covering artificial intelligence (AI), telecommunications and space internet, while emphasising strength in coordinating green energy planning in tandem with computing initiatives to solidify its advantage in infrastructure amid the AI race with the US.
The infrastructure buildout plan forms a core pillar of the nation’s draft 15th five-year plan, released last week during the legislative “two sessions” meeting and still subject to final approval by the National People’s Congress.
China’s plan to expand its technological infrastructure includes the development of “a nationwide computing network” underpinned by tiered computing facilities across the country and the accelerated launch of space internet and its large-scale consumer applications.
Other areas outlined for forward-looking development include fifth-generation advanced and sixth-generation telecommunications, along with facilities supporting data and “low-altitude economy” sectors.
The infrastructure push comes at a time of intense technological rivalry with the US, with Beijing laying out ways to solidify its competitiveness.
China will “reinforce and expand its competitive advantages, overcome constraints … to secure strategic initiative in fierce international competition”, it said in the draft plan.
One such advantage Beijing highlighted in the plan included the coordinated development of computing power and green energy.
Beijing is embarking on a comprehensive national campaign to expand China’s computing resources, positioning abundant supply of computational resources as a strategic asset on par with green energy networks in a bid to dominate the artificial intelligence era.


At the heart of the campaign were projects including the “national computing network” overseen by a centralised system to dynamically monitor and allocate computing resources, with plans to develop offshore computing facilities in experimented international expansion.
The end goal is to make computing power “universally beneficial and easy to use”, significantly lowering the cost for small and medium-sized enterprises to access the computing resources they need to innovate.
China’s AI boom is lifting demand for computing power in China, boosting business for local tech firms as they roll out advanced semiconductors to run AI models and expand computing facilities.
Alibaba Cloud signed a partnership deal with Shanghai to build an ultra-large-scale computing centre using the Zhenwu chips developed by Alibaba’s T-Head chip unit. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
Under the agreement, the computing centre will adopt Zhenwu chips to build a full-stack computing infrastructure with an aim to become a benchmark green computing facility.
Last week Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE said revenue from its computing business jumped 150 per cent in 2025, a rare spotlight for a year with 10.4 per cent year-on-year revenue growth and over 33 per cent profit drop.
Crucially, the country’s expanding computing capacity is increasingly designed to run on green energy. The plan calls for the “coordinated development of green electricity and computing power”, linking the construction of large computing facilities with wind, solar and other renewable energy sources.
The approach aims to ensure that China’s push for computing dominance does not undermine its carbon reduction goals, instead leveraging the country’s strength in clean energy to power its growing digital infrastructure.
Additional reporting by Eunice Xu


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Beijing’s infrastructure buildout strategy becomes a core focus of nation’s draft 15th five-year plan amid intense rivalry with Washington


Beijing’s infrastructure buildout strategy becomes a core focus of nation’s draft 15th five-year plan amid intense rivalry with Washington.


China lays out its blueprint for AI, space internet and green energy in tech race with US

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Beijing’s infrastructure buildout strategy becomes a core focus of nation’s draft 15th five-year plan amid intense rivalry with Washington

Beijing’s infrastructure buildout strategy becomes a core focus of nation’s draft 15th five-year plan amid intense rivalry with Washington