China unveils plan for unified computing power network

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Friday released a plan to create a nationwide network that connects computing resources across the country, aiming at making public computing power easier to access and use, no matter who provides it or what technology it uses.

The plan sets key targets for the next few years. By 2026, China aims to build a clear set of standards, identification systems and rules for linking different computing systems. It also plans to adopt new high-speed data transfer methods to improve how data moves between computing centers. National, regional and industry-level platforms will be built to support this connected system.

These platforms will allow users to share and use computing, storage, and networking services across different providers and locations, helping more people and companies access computing power easily and affordably.

By 2028, the country expects to have a fully connected national network of standardized public computing resources. This system will be able to sense available computing power in real time and let users access it whenever needed, much like plugging into an electrical grid.

The plan also encourages the use of shared computing power in areas like artificial intelligence, scientific research, smart manufacturing, remote healthcare, video networks, self-driving cars, cloud gaming, cloud PC and real-time rendering.