Amid ongoing technological competition with the United States, China is actively developing two key areas to strengthen its sovereignty in the field of AI. According to industry reports from September 11, 2025, Chinese research institutions and companies have accelerated the release and improvement of their own open-source models. Particular attention is being paid to "brain-inspired" architectures, which promise significantly higher energy efficiency compared to the dominant Transformer architecture. In parallel, China is implementing a large-scale state program for the construction of new data centers, strategically located in regions with a surplus of cheap, including renewable, energy. This dual strategy—creating accessible and efficient open-source models and providing them with a powerful and inexpensive energy base—is aimed at making Chinese AI solutions more competitive on the global market and reducing dependence on American hardware and software.
China Challenges US Dominance with Open-Source AI and Energy Infrastructure
