# China Shifts AI Infrastructure West in National Computing Strategy

> China's government formally launched its 'East Data, West Computing' strategy in February 2022, moving energy-intensive AI infrastructure to less developed central and western regions.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-20T00:45:07.545502Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/china-shifts-ai-infrastructure-west-in-national-computing-strategy-aa335ce7

China formally launched its "East Data, West Computing" (EDWC) strategy in February 2022, an initiative outlined in an implementation plan from May 2021 to relocate energy-intensive artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure from the eastern seaboard to its western and central regions [1]. This national effort aims to balance the distribution of computing facilities, boost inland economies, and strengthen China's AI leadership [1].

This strategy is a significant national undertaking designed to secure China's leadership in artificial intelligence and reshape its economic geography [1]. It affects the availability of computing resources, local economies in rural areas, and global competition in AI development [1][2][4].

## A National Computing Overhaul

The EDWC strategy, a joint initiative of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and the National Energy Administration (NEA), was formally launched in February 2022 [1]. The plan for this strategy, titled "Implementation Plan for Computing Hubs of the National Integrated Big Data Center Collaborative Innovation System," was issued in May 2021 [1]. The core objective is to leverage abundant land, cooler climates, and renewable energy resources in the western regions [1][2][6]. This approach is intended to decentralize computing power, which Beijing views as essential to national competitiveness in the AI era [2].

## Relocating AI Power

Tech giants like Huawei, Tencent, and Alibaba are actively involved in building large-scale data centers as part of this initiative [1][2]. In Guizhou province, a cluster of European-style buildings houses Huawei's largest data center, part of dozens constructed in the region [3][4]. Another example is an Alibaba and China Telecom data center in Shaoguan, which contains 10,000 of Alibaba's Zhenwu semiconductors, promoting self-sufficiency in AI hardware [1]. Inner Mongolia is also a key location, with 20 of China's 30 leading private computing companies operating there, and its computing power totaling 315,000 petaflops as of May 2026, with 297,000 petaflops dedicated to AI [11]. China's overall intelligent computing capacity increased by 177 percent year-on-year by the end of June this year, reaching 2,185 EFLOPS [8].

## Local Opportunities and Economic Strain

Local governments recognize data centers as a key investment opportunity to generate revenue from low-productivity land [1]. Residents in areas like Guian New Area, where Huawei's data center is located, have noted improved transportation, increased trade, and new business opportunities [3][4]. Shopkeeper Shu Peihua stated, "It used to be a barren mountain, but since the area has developed, transportation has become more convenient, trade has picked up, business opportunities have emerged" [3][4]. Another local, Li, noted that "All the villagers in our neighborhood now find jobs nearby" [5]. However, researchers point out that wage growth in Guizhou has lagged behind the national average despite GDP expansion [2]. The province also carries one of China's heaviest debt burdens [2][7]. Digital infrastructure development can also widen the urban-rural income gap, as innovation resources concentrate in urban areas [9].

## What We Could Not Confirm

We could not confirm the precise number of new jobs directly created for local residents by these data center projects [2][7]. The overall long-term economic gains for host regions, beyond initial infrastructure development, remain unclear, particularly concerning wage growth and the urban-rural income gap [2][7][9].

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32. Publish Date (Form Submission Field). Content Topic (Form Submission Field). Auth0_id. CMS content ID. GA Client ID ... In February 2022, China officially launched its "Eastern Data, Western Computing" project. This massive undertaking is designed to reorganize the country's digital resources by building eight national computing hubs and 10 national data center clusters. The project addresses a fundamental geographic mismatch: the prosperous eastern coastal regions have the highest demand for da (hinrichfoundation.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHH3gfgfVDvhwHANA24RkFQI_UzFbIzw6G47FuVN8iaZlHQ4d32q7IIX7AfKZddF6FzTuF-2sbVTwY7EHhayYl8-kYqMlrmxXCfVBrMv1aWwQ0_wRDs5Y46ICD8QOdrykPzUZ-yp1gX_TRQ4Yqjq8juHVU3s2gRpLjkzvkL6tUeaJUDjlGdWrRvZVOtwyeDjGMJc7mm3Lu7XRb-QIXA6aEAmVGi5cY=
33. Last February, four Chinese government bodies1 jointly announced the commencement of a large-scale project to restructure China's data infrastructure. Known as the “Eastern Data, Western Computing” project — which I will refer to as “EDWC” for short — it aims to build a network of big data centers that move much of China's data storage and computing from the populous, data-overburdened east to the more spacious and resource-rich western regions. The project's aim is twofold: to alleviate develop (substack.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGIl8bqEOO_I_W4H90OnZUd4M9tIrA-BKfJA0pVAvziH-uWb07sX4IkGC_WX0dmfLIMLZxvWCovC1O8e7YLfElsn_KlYmMwsp42Bq3fPmRmAXqJkugu4vCRE2oaSr7uBAhrFKhkj5zdeMZTJ7jhEv9ENU0P1NWp6mZqz3x4wDqQuVI=
34. China is developing a network to sell computing power from a data center building boom over the past three years. After local governments backed facilities across the country, overcapacity concerns have plagued the Chinese data center market. Reuters reports that the state is now looking into setting up a national, state-run cloud service using the surplus compute. China. – Sebastian Moss. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) is collaborating with China's three state teleco (datacenterdynamics.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGnL2xW6Y0UF8CyIJ5cbDSAhoJolMmk5GeUDHjdX5eXJ4eU1_dQUVqto30VpTLSt6Sm53YL1R0beN3nmb2adBPrEwDwkEzUV44TLjzU9_jNKrkvC5g2BefySqTD9PhmrxEVTqolNdklQ5y1YUCJgADSdwcUq8waB8aYercwqoovTUNCihvc8i7vdNvox1YmB2nQEcbZJG_DihfQCM82v3z61EBt8gqJsPB1JvuwQo7oD5Fdg9jP_wnCx0tdGwU=
35. China's large-scale computing network project, designed to connect the entire country, has now expanded to the Tibetan Plateau. A newly built, large-scale AI-focused computing center in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin of Shannan City, Tibet Autonomous Region, has officially begun operations. With this, China has expanded its supercomputing infrastructure beyond traditional northwestern regions, such as Ningxia and Gansu, into Tibet, introducing a high-efficiency data center model that leverages t (economy.ac) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQECHMQw1RE5oeyanNV5ZGX8m2Sa7Sv67WBJvTHO9bNTRmRtvbM97cKf7uN1H8Us4Qe_j7UbeOpDlQZDKBGddR7i0t63khJ2PgdcXoMZ4sB2xYkE3qImDgmBTrlX7GPxpNPdoBooxw==
36. The announcement came directly from the stage of Alibaba's annual conference in Hangzhou, where the leadership of the group, founded by Jack Ma, unveiled new strategic technologies aimed at supporting China's drive for technological self-sufficiency. During the event, Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu unveiled the Zhenwu V900 processor, describing it as the most advanced piece of hardware produced in China, with performance reportedly three times greater than that of the previous Zhenwu M890 model. The new c (lavocedinewyork.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGIgbdTeEePyGfs7De2-kFKYUYCs7OFIiMN25nBtoHewKtfKPLo-TKZgffxejO0UbpZLgy6T77mwe7Bva7iKMm8OKuNu7tvQnQgTtNVhZhUlxzpuNJo3AJUUFF8ExDEAwjcCqNMQixygFw5QwFkHmc-J6oajtf3MypJV8txUncL_NTO0CkFRHfZZQmlarie9dV75v0F02i1EEH_1Erw6ADxv1YK1rvAIRysmHowBMEROgPXjw=
37. Alibaba Chief Executive Eddie Wu said the new Zhenwu V900 chip is the “most powerful AI chip in China today” and can deliver three times the performance of the company's previous generation Zhenwu M890 chip. (Mark Schiefelbein / Associated Press ). By Chan Ho-Him. Sept. 22, 2026 6:36 AM PT ... Recent Chinese advancements in AI are giving Beijing more leverage in its upcoming talks with Washington, some analysts believe, as China steps up its self-reliance push even as U.S.-led export restriction (latimes.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGMgyRZsIWR55M_Gj695za6p3nhXgXv0NEIjeWEu-Kszaikt8ZEjv3REBX3-pdaBsPtOHtu2SAj90MWzPIQpa6R62_r8hM4skYMumMepZ3d_duYkALpLshh0qnkqaD075GJfEg69iV_vX5QzjKQ2_GdVbAXMLyNEtryHsC1PsPr5Mk42qSy2Re8GNZapUWZrxSrinBVitBxRBlkx49tkTrtqg4XcG8R4Q9jdYgs=
38. Alibaba, in partnership with China Telecom, has launched a new AI-focused data center in southern China, marking a significant step in the country's push toward self-reliant AI infrastructure. The facility is powered by 10,000 of Alibaba's self-developed Zhenwu AI semiconductors, designed to handle both training and inference workloads at scale. The data center reflects a broader strategic shift among Chinese technology firms. As access to advanced U.S. semiconductor technologies becomes increas (opendatascience.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGetA79KhG5zorVTjBrYwUlf3XYGyZzNPyWJVvuQH_GjObMFjlaDb-x1WFdWvkN63mw7mskQLVjXGy0yEMVUEc4TBVQHMUfEFCQEt9ypxio2Ec1-6gvYkuqXKVpZHvsDtHmZq8S4xilVHnnY77wD_ciF3puqLBlpJPzlmhGAgCheNTq3oUZv1hyy94bchSTEe5_Te7E
39. CEO Eddie Wu said the new Zhenwu V900 chip is the “most powerful AI chip in China today” and can deliver three times the performance of the company's previous generation Zhenwu M890 chip. Such chips power frontier AI model training and “inference,” a term for the calculations a trained AI uses to deliver responses to users. Alibaba's Zhenwu chips are used in its data centers, providing computing to the company and its cloud clients. Alibaba also said it plans to train a new AI model at the scale (apnews.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFURBiKAynnTb0zW6Gyvht436Z7ROeaZ9HL0s1QnQmZFtCvvn_Koi12da-uMTPXJK8cM-r7qgwuwlgoODlLZGC1TGQ9EseRHkbfX0ZQjX6jzeiV0wkqStJkZ3dUidIYWOrtEPMiyTGQMAvAyOmZO1RSDRkTd-iSH75hlO9o5u5UeAyFYRYA3CLf0LQ0VjfPxJCidqrNEbbwqI-A
40. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (阿里巴巴) unveiled new artificial intelligence (AI) chip technologies and plans for more powerful models yesterday, including what it said was China's most powerful AI chip. At its annual flagship conference in Hangzhou, Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu (吳泳銘) said the new Zhenwu V900 chip is the “most powerful AI chip in China today” and can deliver three times the performance of the company's previous generation Zhenwu M890 chip. Such chips power frontier AI model training and “infer (taipeitimes.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQELSMfjXVgrZj77P3nHaZlT6b0R6CV9iO1HycFg-xr_G3EG-jqVkp4bi__g-h17gi6KI8Mbg7SwWaBQyzX1id7rw3jlJfSysjd004ieOjIBYtSVOwudKj6XtgxpAxL2FgpmBZabzG2j8nHKJ_eHIU7j27k78Fl8b01Cbk10wg==
41. Alibaba Group CEO Eddie Wu said the new Zhenwu V900 chip delivers three times the performance of the company's previous chip, the Zhenwu M890, and carries enough memory and bandwidth to support clusters of up to 500,000 cards working together for model training and inference, according to The Wall Street Journal. Mass production and commercial release of the chip are targeted for the first quarter of 2027. Wu also said Alibaba plans to train a next-generation AI model at a scale of five to 10 tr (qz.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQE2j2MRpth38cyN0Zf1RjBDWLKFhI78K284bHk14n1vRqBmnuJXmJdzh45bDZoJN39zSYbowujRakpvWv6GpMWf0-LqNpHV7aHEGm9PB3TpCujCZ9pf4gFyjcBHmHO-G90OFkNKRUoec1R_y2h39Nljxk-535ww
42. Alibaba unveiled its powerful new Zhenwu V900 chip and ambitious Qwen model plans at the Apsara Conference 2026, the AP reports. Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu calls the Zhenwu 900 the most powerful AI chip in China, with three times the performance of the previous-generation M890. The chip is meant to support the training of future Qwen models in the 5 to 10 trillion parameter range, an increase over both the 2.4 trillion Qwen3.8-Max and Moonshot's Kimi K3 and its 2.8 trillion parameter basis. The announ (tomshardware.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGN39lsoY3KVZ2C1Sp8iAOnYg6F4QsnMuVEI0kUkF7O3sTmYeB7TINA6WyQZYGdtnsnryJPpTddKgo36HNdKj_E8nvGu3JB6fclxb38872gxKHfyZamsNbxHfmOKO53NF099m7eXxImwMfQumAcscZWz_l_80q8AmaGDn-xEff7kLQg_7clQo5bB6YTKi0mPiJ0D_cqAiL_LjDg7dRNBESNOUW9I60saUWXdVKoqVtonT8ixPJ50Tb2RB-UBo7IK9kvtKRvK_t9XQgTvgCYaal3GI_CfHfz9M_zWV5p4IW-ilaquFEADlXqLOoPjFEkGne-hhZVG2LClklZu6HpuKnUqmrFV9qDBplgqqVu0hxQ6X7g3fJ58p2YgvOREZsk4d8PDpkgxKLisESu_knBzTePRH6J7A==
43. The 'East Data West Computing' project launched in 2021 has a limited impact on China's competitiveness because only a small portion of the data centre load can be shifted west. Though lower electricity prices are available in some cases, this is counterbalanced by high upfront costs. – mainly borne by state-owned companies – and duplicated investment to enable such flexibility. Data centre owners and operators have little incentive to schedule loads to take advantage of low energy prices or cle (oxfordenergy.org) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQH_dXutwY3OAppn4tZv0h2F3QJUHTncckiAQIY3r_N0Y0x9wV3o_NyDJj6pHXlMOvA4MenUF5t4bRglyzt4tWfgUs3W2r4nx4TQkmx8Y4UGUOlOMaP1mHzSUXzzJZc0viwh8FS2-KsouKderbzXzcK3rsie6s4lqC34yqIqaNYMmdFiFfoa8mvCFpEVXWIjqSNR5CRfGKhPLDoONPKUirCv8-ab
44. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China digital economy has developed vigorously, and its supporting role in building a modern economic system and achieving high-quality development has become increasingly prominent. In May 2021, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Central Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the "National Integrated Big Data C (idcnova.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFZuum-ZvElGAqf-uHK_HHCu0QJKeyZLLj4u6gJajoAz8XOGpCnKFkm-GO0Y5SBDg-PKLo9MWvSHfuctbzEH5lUSUjiQEJKOrLJpEUfDKMhE1eY-RcbHM6C-kVF2OXXz1yvgddK7QC57RKCIIknmyF8FG7_24hLqnL9cGM2wRpXn9LZW9Q498QiMqKfORh93AMoWsr0RZzuCiTJRTQDTydcvdWcZhCcEASb2T2JWjj2oqmSbQ==
45. To address this disparity, a significant initiative known as Eastern Data and Western Computing has been underway since May 2021. By February 2022, the NDRC and two other departments had approved multiple projects, including the construction of national computing hub nodes in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as 10 national data center clusters (NDRC 2022b). This initiative gained momentum in late 2023 with the re (ucpress.edu) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGpUxQdx7PgD25kr1w9y7FcNXjQFpqyHl7BPcSA66RBaBPTpgBzBrAtJT656XuYEGvi_vmQ-bjANTrrZfMYkbVThg4L7zrRGc3Nh-ywK6rQAyeQsGGk30FxIM_63W3tfj_3ovmwhnVuwbQA5C7gNtnJUy9wotrXnXe1U6jr4qTRDnd4jTCPTEo2kTYzh9Udt2chWk42ioqCxCLvVTbEOmB
46. ... China ... east data, west computing" project, which means ... Since being designated as a national computing power hub in May 2021, Guizhou has made giant strides ... (kipost.net) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFMU4UHHNne-NFhiC6v3TgvMa11VSlYy60C5yxWUWftbpS8E9fA6hsOd8GwdW6pkRo11VuGCraTq1EnjU--RHxK5BamfTqzjTOfXbqRkFg32qrSOdaUX4GCVYLI9kO_Kjx2UZc0orBLYO_CCDPcL05ENWA9
47. By 2025, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) had adopted a “moderately forward-looking” policy stance for 2026, prioritizing 5G-Advanced networks and intelligent computing, as well as the “East Data, West Computing” initiative to optimize the spatial distribution of computing resources [23]. Although the smart city pilot is a multidimensional policy package, slightly more than half of its projects—53.3% in 2014 and 50.7% in 2015—fall directly within the scope of SDI .. (mdpi.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHrOJnfJn7TUAGjAIjxjH3YaXpi6v5jtQjCvAFOfch9cEUSMGUGE8MPkVdgjreJc_kYLM-B58AIqX58K1x_f86Jgac4I8IS-nN9JEG7mc8zkV9XJPoZbzKthu3joIoVFXku7Lk=
48. Balancing regional computing resources is at the heart of China's plan to build a national system of data centers. Mar 2022. HUAWEI TECH 2022 Issue 02. By Li Jun, Chief Architect, Data Center Networks, Huawei. In May 2021, China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and National Energy Administration (NEA) jointly issued the Implementation Plan for Computing Hubs of the National Integ (huawei.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFASbdZxbdvsfdraNKSu9tEWZOjaduPmgsF93sljxb2fCnYrHyCsAdngFikPe9zEksi11V7MWnn5lcswUTZqC5hBxvtX4n8GoXlbFSk6sgH6V1zuj_gv9y6tbczzXn-Bkx3xgkYQrFwZUgDmfnbdsvDRUbjugkCLk-uq9QjMtYj6gWCu8CwSzoNgG_5OmMXwwI9RMlaDrwTAg==
49. One always retraces each technological breakthrough to make sense of a generation. The railway system was laid out in the Age of Steam;. The electrical grid was constructed in the Age of Electricity;. And the computing network is being weaved in this Age of Digital Economy. Subsequent to the projects of “South–North Water Transfer”, “West–East Gas Pipeline” and “West–East Electricity Transmission”, one can expect a whole new national initiative coming up! “Eastern Data and Western Computing” str (citictel-cpc.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFw0Z9-AWSjuEHmmkduRpviNc5YFQZYf8smrJf7xyqSsLgd38fPlworcJnmij5_ruzE6TInPTa2RfjMwEUTMM7UHqNtgxTSCz8VzAY6Nnw2bJGUYgt2B5UXXA4wv4wlXSaHamFjoGcDM3AT86iMtcUcjO0LeOR7gIV2ZYvuMTXOyA==
50. The “Eastern Data, Western Computing” plan was first introduced at the end of 2020 when the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and the National Energy Administration (NEA) jointly released the Guiding Opinions on Accelerating the Construction of a National Integrated Big Data Center Collaborative Innovation System (the “guiding opinions”). These guiding opinions first propose (china-briefing.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGaohdf9Gk1eB3dwCAuzQKuLwJ7NaaI11Y1Cp8jlk6Klgzk2t2SbMNzMCLd66SzTafq2RPLpPLzUqcRiubVEZNCbiPD3mGwTQBtT0BSnrVYzRry2ZPDPVOMP8GmHLcp5kLYRyX-G8JwuMfLfkLTkVVyQNPhsisNGN32z94sqJ8Du9YEi8wDVTPFW40nLchgPTgaz8IiZJxQVfbEg1H0lgJ8EFdTIrRyCLmVRrRzCR0WxpA=
51. China's Latest National Infrastructure Project Spotlights Computing Capabilities (cfr.org) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFmgs1KA0mF13ZDjo-j1uvZVzevXK1u_XaDMb4Vrmf39apOQNy2ohtAwGyL9_uOPs1W4QSWFC8q6JTv-qJS3CWIMco2wSjVILFRtU2U8eHwC2DTV2c4aaW5Zij_00hE2JZIDRhY2izC-s59BKo_qkxh71RHI_xrpxX8bdluAo0shSyLcSgGepNKVEk4GRy7l4WvHBWSTtgLrHvlYqql6OMd8tz-S9cW
52. China invests $6.12 bln in computing data centres amid US export restrictions (indiatimes.com) — https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/china-invests-6-12-bln-in-computing-data-centres-amid-us-export-restrictions/articleshow/112918804.cms
53. China's Ulanqab sees robust computing industry growth (cgtn.com) — https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-10-17/China-s-Ulanqab-sees-robust-computing-industry-growth-1e74Q06Jd6s/p.html
54. China's 'Eastern Data Western Compute' Megaproject: Origins and Implications for the Global AI Race (icds.ee) — https://icds.ee/publication/chinas-eastern-data-western-compute-megaproject-origins-and-implications-for-the-global-ai-race/
55. From 'highway' to 'high-speed railway' for computing power (chinadaily.com.cn) — https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202610/19/WS670f5e3ba31011831ed19734.html
56. China invests over 43.5 bln yuan in 'east data, west computing' project (gov.cn) — https://www.gov.cn/lianbo/bumen/202408/content_WS66cffc7bc6d0421e4e370a2a.htm
57. Alibaba and China Telecom launch AI data center in southern China (qz.com) — https://qz.com/alibaba-china-telecom-ai-data-center-shaoguan-zhenwu-1851381398
58. Alibaba and China Telecom Open 10,000-Chip AI Data Center in Guangdong (mlq.ai) — https://mlq.ai/alibaba-and-china-telecom-open-10000-chip-ai-data-center-in-guangdong/
59. Alibaba Cloud and China Telecom Launch AI Data Center with 10,000 Zhenwu AI Chips (w.media) — https://w.media/alibaba-cloud-and-china-telecom-launch-ai-data-center-with-10000-zhenwu-ai-chips/
60. Alibaba and China Telecom Launch AI Data Center With 10,000 Zhenwu Chips (investing.com) — https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/alibaba-and-china-telecom-launch-ai-data-center-with-10000-zhenwu-chips-432SI2026600
61. Alibaba and China Telecom Unveil AI Data Center Powered by 10,000 Zhenwu Chips (opendatascience.com) — https://opendatascience.com/alibaba-and-china-telecom-unveil-ai-data-center-powered-by-10000-zhenwu-chips/
62. The Future of Data Centers: China's "East Data, West Computing" Strategy - Huawei (huawei.com) — https://www.huawei.com/en/technology/industries/telecom/insight/ict-insights/future-of-data-centers-china-east-data-west-computing-strategy
63. China’s “Eastern Data, Western Computing” (substack.com) — https://gpp.substack.com/p/chinas-eastern-data-western-computing
64. Eastern Data and Western Computing: How It Works in China (citictel-cpc.com) — https://www.citictel-cpc.com/en/about-us/news/eastern-data-and-western-computing-how-it-works-in-china/
65. China’s “Eastern Data, Western Computing” Initiative: What Does It Mean? (cfr.org) — https://www.cfr.org/blog/chinas-eastern-data-western-computing-initiative-what-does-it-mean
66. China's 'east data, west computing' initiative benefits rural areas with green energy (chinadaily.com.cn) — https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202605/14/WS6642d93ca3109a6a864e262c.html
67. China Pushes AI Data Centers Into Rural West to Tap Surplus Power - biggo.com (biggo.com) — https://biggo.com/blog/china-pushes-ai-data-centers-into-rural-west-to-tap-surplus-power
68. China's villages pay the price for Beijing's AI ambitions - Taipei Times (taipeitimes.com) — https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2026/10/20/2003867664
69. bangkokpost.com (bangkokpost.com) — https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/3189914/chinas-villages-pay-the-price-for-beijings-ai-ambitions
70. China's villages pay the price for Beijing's AI ambitions - Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com) — https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/chinas-villages-pay-the-price-for-beijings-ai-ambitions
71. China is shifting its new data centers to rural Eastern locations as it looks for extra AI power | TechRadar (techradar.com) — https://www.techradar.com/pro/china-is-shifting-its-new-data-centers-to-rural-eastern-locations-as-it-looks-for-extra-ai-power
72. China's villages pay the price for Beijing's AI ambitions - INQUIRER.net (inquirer.net) — https://inquirer.net/business/1788224/chinas-villages-pay-the-price-for-beijings-ai-ambitions
73. China forging AI industry landscape to generate fresh momentum for broader commercial deployment | Global Times (globaltimes.cn) — https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202610/1325324.shtml