China plans to increase its computer capacity by a third in less than three years in a bid to boost technological self-sufficiency and benefit local suppliers. The government wants to increase computing capacity in the IT sector to over 300 exaflops by 2025. It also plans to build 20 smart computing centers in the next two years and deploy larger optical networks and better data storage by 2025. Increased computing capacity will benefit sectors such as manufacturing, education, finance, transportation, healthcare and energy.
Supply chain security is a key aspect of infrastructure build-out. The US has restricted exports of high-end products to China, including Nvidia chips, which are critical in training artificial intelligence models. While the technology conflict is forcing Beijing to aim for a supply chain without America, Huawei Technologies Co. and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. are actively developing local technology, raising questions about the effectiveness of Washington’s restrictions on China.
