The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) has issued a new directive for central state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to intensify development in foundational high-tech sectors. During the China Telecom Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem Forum at WAIC2026, officials emphasized the necessity of achieving breakthroughs in basic algorithms, physical AI, and quantum communication. This strategic move aims to solidify a self-reliant technological ecosystem that integrates domestic hardware and software to support the next generation of digital infrastructure, including blockchain-relevant computing power.
Strategic Focus on Sovereign Computing and AI Development
Pang Xiaogang, Deputy Director of SASAC, outlined a roadmap centered on the principle of "national models, national chips, and national use." This approach requires central SOEs to maintain pace with global industry frontiers by continuously iterating large-scale AI models and securing the supply chain for intelligent computing chips. The initiative is part of a broader "AI+" special action plan designed to foster indigenous innovation.
- Ongoing development of five ten-thousand-card computing clusters to handle massive data processing.
- Expansion of self-managed intelligent computing facilities to ensure data sovereignty.
- Deployment of cross-domain heterogeneous computing power scheduling to optimize resource allocation across different regions.
- Integration of green electricity to power the energy-intensive high-tech infrastructure.
Building a Scalable Autonomous Ecosystem
The SASAC initiative has already yielded significant results, with central SOEs opening more than 1,200 application scenarios across key industries. By adapting to domestic chips of all categories, the government aims to reduce reliance on external technology providers, which has significant implications for the security of distributed ledger technologies (DLT) and encrypted communications.
"Central SOEs should increase investment, expand the scale of self-built and managed intelligent computing, and improve cross-domain heterogeneous computing power scheduling capabilities", stated Pang Xiaogang.
This push for technical autonomy is supported by three-year stratified talent training programs, ensuring that the human capital matches the rapid advancements in physical AI and quantum networks. These developments are expected to accelerate the digital transformation of thousands of traditional industries while providing the robust computing backbone required for modern financial technologies.
The shift toward a unified national computing and AI framework highlights China's commitment to technological independence. By prioritizing the synchronization of computing power, green energy, and advanced algorithms, SASAC is positioning central SOEs as the primary drivers of a secure, sovereign digital economy that could redefine global standards for high-performance computing and secure data transmission.
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