China unveils plan to grow core AI industry to $142.5 billion within two years by driving innovation, talent attraction and expanded applications.
BEIJING: China has announced a strategic initiative under which China unveils plan to grow core AI industry to $142.5 billion within the next two years, aiming to solidify its position as a global leader in artificial intelligence innovation. The plan, led by authorities in the capital city, will see a series of coordinated efforts across research, data infrastructure and talent development.
The action plan sets out nine major initiatives covering key sectors of the AI ecosystem. These include prioritising technological breakthroughs through enhanced research collaboration, expanding high‑quality data supply and accelerating AI application across multiple industries. In addition, the plan aims to attract and retain top AI talent, mobilise long‑term investment capital and support the growth of open‑source AI ecosystems across the country.
According to Yang Xiuling, Director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, the initiative also targets the construction of a powerful domestically produced AI computing cluster with a capacity of more than 100,000 chips. The strategy seeks to add over 10 newly listed AI‑related companies to capital markets and cultivate more than 20 AI unicorn firms in the coming years, strengthening China’s competitive edge in the technology sector.
The growth forecast comes amid a period of robust expansion in China’s AI industry. As of September 2025, the number of domestic AI enterprises exceeded 5,300, accounting for approximately 15 percent of the global total, according to data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology. This reflects sustained momentum in both innovation and commercial application of AI technologies across the country.
Analysts say that by focusing on coordinated support for research, infrastructure and talent, the initiative will help unlock broader economic and technological gains. These gains are expected to have a ripple effect across sectors where AI can drive productivity improvements, such as healthcare, manufacturing and smart city development.
