China launches $295 B AI infrastructure plan and high‑tech campuses

China is accelerating its drive for technological self‑reliance by developing elite, green university campuses that focus on artificial intelligence, quantum computing and semiconductors. The campuses integrate state‑backed corporations with research labs, creating a “closed‑loop” ecosystem aimed at reducing reliance on foreign technology. According to the OECD, China's research‑and‑development spending reached about 2.6% of GDP by 2025, while roughly 4.5 million STEM graduates enter the workforce each year.

At the same time, the National Development and Reform Commission has committed around 2 trillion yuan (about $295 billion) to build a national AI computing network over five years, targeting completion around 2028. State‑owned telecom firms China Mobile and China Telecom will operate the data centers, and at least 80 % of the core technology must come from domestic suppliers such as Huawei. The plan aims to phase out reliance on foreign AI chip makers like Nvidia and AMD, providing guaranteed demand for Chinese semiconductor firms.

The combined effort is expected to reshape global tech competition, creating challenges for Western firms and altering the landscape of international research collaboration.