Beijing is moving to systematically embed artificial intelligence into its national innovation system, according to a high-level leadership meeting of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in early June. This marks the beginning of a new phase in which AI development is treated as a system-wide strategic imperative. The Party now frames AI as a strategic national project, meaning quasi-private actors must align with state priorities to secure support. This is enhanced by new legislation, such as the Private Economy Promotion Law, and policy documents, such as the Intellectual Property Nation-Building Promotion Plan, which impose quasi-public obligations on firms and institutionalize state integration. MIIT outlined priorities including infrastructure upgrades, advancement of the AI technology stack, accelerated deployment of large models, establishment of technical standards and governance frameworks, and construction of integrated systems to drive AI development and innovation. These efforts blur boundaries across sectors and institutions, complicating the logic of targeted export controls as nearly any component may serve broader state-directed goals.
Beijing Accelerates State-Led AI Mobilization Under Xi’s ‘New National System’ – Jamestown
