In an accompanying statement, Beijing's top internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Commission, cited inefficient application of existing standards in the bureaucracy and the need to strengthen China's international standing as the plan's main challenges.
“There is a lack of coordination between departments, which has led to occasional issues such as missing standards, misplacement and inconsistencies,” the committee said.
“Implementation is not effective enough, the tendency to prioritise development over application remains evident, global impact is insufficient and further efforts are needed to strengthen expertise, participation and high-quality contributions.”
Stakeholders should focus on building cohesive systems that integrate computing, storage and operational capabilities, reflecting the trend toward technologies that work seamlessly together, the company said.
The plan also identified the need to explore and establish common standards for how computing power will be accessed, scheduled and delivered as a service across different types of computing power centers.
The action plan sits at the heart of Beijing's mission to transform China's economy and achieve high-tech self-reliance, with AI seen as a game-changer amid mounting economic challenges, a shrinking workforce and U.S. sanctions on key technologies.
While the United States and China lead the global race over AI development and regulation, other major countries such as the European Union and South Korea are also stepping up the competition, with the EU unveiling the world's first artificial intelligence law in March.
Beijing is preparing its own AI-related legislation, with a draft version submitted for review to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, in May.
Last week, Premier Li Qiang, who attended trilateral talks with Japan and South Korea, called for cooperation between Chinese and South Korean companies in the field of AI in his meeting with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong.
Discussions are also taking place with the United States and the EU, including the US-China talks on AI risks held in Geneva in March, and an agreement reached at a UK summit in November for Washington and Brussels to work together to jointly manage such risks.
AI's promises and risks have quickly put the technology on the diplomatic agenda between major powers, and China has also become active in international organizations that set standards for emerging technologies, from AI to 5G.
China ranks second only to the United States in overall computing power, and Beijing sees accelerating the country's capabilities as the forefront of its efforts to close the gap with the U.S. in breakthrough technologies.
02:15
SenseTime CEO expects Hong Kong-listed company to be profitable within two years for generative AI business
SenseTime CEO expects Hong Kong-listed company to be profitable within two years for generative AI business
The network is due to go live next year, aiming to integrate computing power across the country and connect China's prosperous eastern region with its energy-rich western region.
In an article published Wednesday by China's main Communist Party newspaper, the Study Times, China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Jin Zhuanglong, said AI has “become a key variable for future development.”
“We are better able and better positioned than ever to seize the opportunities of this wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation,” he wrote, adding that China has gained a “first-mover advantage” in some information technologies.
Kim also spoke about the challenges posed by U.S. sanctions and the benefits of low labor costs in some developing countries, saying Chinese manufacturers face the dilemma of being “surrounded from the front and chased from behind.”
