China plans a national AI computing grid funded largely with domestically produced chips, with an investment of about 2 trillion yuan (roughly $295 billion).

The blueprint is being developed by the National Development and Reform Commission, and major carriers are expected to manage the operation.

Financing is anticipated to come largely from sovereign borrowing and ultra-long government bonds, with potential cost increases from upgrades to the power grid.

The network is slated to connect to a single national computing platform by 2028 through expansive infrastructure deployment.

The plan envisions linking data centers nationwide into a unified computing network operated predominantly by state-backed telecoms such as China Mobile and China Telecom.

Including energy infrastructure in the estimates could push total capital needs beyond 5 trillion yuan (about $738 billion).

Officials aim to source at least 80% of the underlying technology from Chinese suppliers, including AI chips and related infrastructure.