In a high-stakes move amid intensifying US-China rivalry, Chinese President Xi Jinping has boldly called for “self-reliance and self-strengthening” in artificial intelligence development, signaling Beijing’s aggressive push to close the AI gap with the United States and secure global technological supremacy. Speaking at a Politburo study session, Xi underscored China’s commitment to leveraging its “new whole national system” – a coordinated, state-driven approach – to accelerate innovation, industrial growth, and AI applications across the country.
Xi did not mince words about the challenges ahead. He acknowledged existing “gaps and deficiencies” in fundamental AI theories, core technologies like high-end chips, and foundational software. To overcome these, he stressed intensified basic research and the building of an “independent, controllable, and collaborative” AI hardware and software ecosystem. This push includes policy support spanning government procurement, intellectual property rights, taxation, and talent cultivation – a comprehensive state backing that few countries can match.
China’s homegrown AI startup DeepSeek has become a symbol of this ambition, attracting global attention with its AI reasoning models developed using less advanced chips and at a fraction of Western costs, challenging assumptions that US sanctions cripple China’s AI progress. Meanwhile, tech giants like Baidu and Huawei are investing heavily in proprietary chips and AI infrastructure, further solidifying China’s drive toward technological independence.
Xi’s call for “self-reliance” is more than rhetoric – it is a strategic declaration that AI is a battlefield where technological sovereignty matters as much as economic muscle. India’s policymakers and industry leaders must take heed: the AI race is accelerating, and only those who combine innovation with scale and state support will lead the future.