Beijing Ramps Up Efforts for Tech Independence with Open-Source AI Push
BEIJING, March 2025 — In a bold move to cement its technological self-reliance, Beijing is intensifying its focus on artificial intelligence as a cornerstone of national development. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, speaking before lawmakers on Wednesday, emphasized that AI is pivotal to bolstering China’s digital economy.
“Artificial intelligence will drive the next phase of innovation,” Li said, outlining plans to increase support for large-scale AI models as well as related hardware such as smartphones, robots, and smart vehicles.
The government’s renewed push comes amid tightening U.S. restrictions that limit China’s access to advanced American AI chips and models, turning AI into a high-stakes arena in the broader U.S.-China tech rivalry. Beijing’s strategy includes the development of a robust ecosystem built on open-source models, a move aimed at reducing dependency on foreign technologies.
China’s top economic planning body echoed the Premier’s call for action, announcing plans to invest heavily in both computing power and the vast amounts of data needed to train sophisticated AI systems. A spokesperson for China’s legislative body recently praised local tech pioneers such as DeepSeek, highlighting their contributions not only to China’s technological progress but also to the global open-source community.
Last month, prominent Chinese entrepreneurs—including founders of DeepSeek and a leading robotics startup—met with President Xi Jinping. The meeting underscored the government’s expectation that these innovators uphold a “sense of national duty” as they drive forward China’s technology agenda.
In parallel with its AI initiatives, Beijing is also accelerating efforts to foster emerging technologies such as open-source chip design architectures. For years, China has been building a semiconductor ecosystem around RISC-V—a major open-source architecture—to lessen its reliance on technology giants like Intel and Arm.
As the U.S. and China continue to jostle for technological supremacy, Beijing’s latest moves signal a clear commitment to charting its own course in the digital future. With AI at the heart of this strategy, the country aims not only to secure its technological independence but also to shape global standards in an increasingly interconnected world.
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