Wei Jieyu and Cai Yuezhou: Computing Power is the New Infrastructure for High-Quality Development
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee explicitly proposed to "build and operate national data infrastructure and promote data sharing." This is an intrinsic requirement for promoting the deep integration of the real economy and the digital economy during the profound development of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. In fact, as a vital component of new digital infrastructure, computing power serves as the foundation for the application of digital technologies such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Accelerating the construction of computing power infrastructure is the bedrock for releasing the value of data elements [1] and supporting the high-quality development of the digital economy.
The Foundation Safeguarding the High Quality of the Digital Economy
The digital economy is a new economic form that relies on digital technology and data resources to reshape the modes of production, circulation, exchange, and consumption through digital transformation. As the foundational support for the operation and development of the digital economy, computing power is the pedestal for releasing the value of data elements and activating data potential; it is the cornerstone for ensuring the healthy development of the digital economy. Currently, computing power has become a strategic high ground in global technological competition and an important metric for measuring national competitiveness. Major global economies have identified computing power as a key development direction, increasing R&D investment in hopes of seizing dominance in future competition.
On one hand, computing power has become the foundational support for digital technology applications and the operation of the digital economy. The various new models and business formats spawned by the large-scale commercial application of next-generation information technology are essentially the result of comprehensive improvements in data collection, transmission, processing, and analysis capabilities. The collection, analysis, and processing of massive data resources all require powerful computing support. On the other hand, computing power has become a decisive factor constraining industrial transformation. As the application of digital technology deepens across various sectors, the digital transformation of traditional industries is accelerating, and the demand for computing power is constantly growing. The digital transformation of traditional industries depends on whether digital technology can effectively integrate with sectoral technologies, while the smooth operation of new models following such integration is constrained by the supply of computing power. At the same time, the computing power supply system and the construction of computing power infrastructure have driven the development of upstream and downstream digital industrial chains. A group of enterprises primarily engaged in providing cloud computing and blockchain technologies has emerged, injecting new momentum into the structural transformation and upgrading of industry. In fact, the driving effect of computing power on the macroeconomy has begun to manifest. According to the 2022–2023 Global Computing Power Index Evaluation Report, for every 1-point increase in the computing power index, the value-added of the digital economy and GDP will grow by 3.6‰ and 1.7‰, respectively.
Major Progress in China’s Computing Power Infrastructure Construction
In recent years, the Chinese government has attached great importance to the construction of computing power infrastructure, successively issuing a series of policy documents such as the Action Plan for the High-Quality Development of Computing Power Infrastructure and the Implementation Opinions on Deeply Implementing the "East Data, West Computing" [2] Project and Accelerating the Construction of a National Integrated Computing Power Network. Under the strong support of national policies, China's computing power infrastructure construction has made significant progress: the scale of computing power continues to expand, the network layout is constantly optimized, and computing capabilities are steadily rising.
First, China's computing power scale continues to grow, with an annual growth rate of nearly 30%. As of June 2024, China's total computing power scale reached 246 EFLOPS, ranking second in the world, with more than 8.3 million standard racks in use. With the continuous application of intelligent technologies such as large models, intelligent robots, and autonomous driving, intelligent computing power has shown an especially high growth momentum, with a growth rate exceeding 70% in 2023, becoming the primary direction of computing power growth. The rapid growth in the scale of computing power has promoted the deep application of digital technology, providing powerful momentum for industrial digital transformation.
Second, with the deep implementation of the "East Data, West Computing" project, a computing power network architecture has initially taken shape. Since the state officially launched the project in 2022, the construction of eight national computing power hub nodes—including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area—has continuously progressed. China's computing power network architecture has initially formed, and the spatial imbalance of computing power resources has been significantly improved. This has achieved the national integration of computing power and the efficient scheduling of decentralized computing power across various regions, enhancing China's overall computing level.
Third, the deployment of the computing power network exhibits characteristics of clustering, forming a new pattern of coordinated development between the East and the West. Driven by the "East Data, West Computing" project, the construction of China's computing power nodes and hubs shows a tiered layout from east to west and the characteristics of cluster development. Among these, the eastern region features three nodes (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area), mainly applied to businesses with high network latency requirements such as the industrial internet, telemedicine, and finance/securities. The central and western regions feature five node hubs (Guizhou, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, and the Chengdu-Chongqing area), mainly applied to businesses with relatively lower latency requirements, used to undertake non-real-time computing needs such as national-scale background data processing, offline analysis, and storage backup.
Finally, green and low-carbon development has become an important direction for the construction and operation of computing power infrastructure. With the accelerated expansion of computing power demand, the scale of China’s data centers has grown rapidly, and the power consumption required to build these centers is enormous. Therefore, under the national "Dual Carbon" [3] goals, achieving the "greening" of the computing power industry will be a key factor constraining its development.
Although China's computing power infrastructure construction has made significant progress, from the current perspective, development still faces problems such as an incomplete standard system. First, China's high-end computing chips face "chokehold" [4] risks. Currently, the degree of independent and controllable development in China's computing chip field is limited; high-end chips and key components rely heavily on imports, which significantly affects the construction process of China's computing power industry. Second, the development of the industry faces constraints in power supply. Electricity is the basis for supporting computing operations, and the main cost of these operations comes from power. Especially with the increasing demand for intelligent computing, the demand for electricity is growing rapidly, and power costs have become a key factor limiting development. Third, the technical standard system for computing power needs improvement. Currently, technical standards in the field are not yet sound, and there is a lack of unified industry standards and specifications, leading to obstacles in compatibility and sharing between many products and services, which affects the overall development of the industry.
Recommendations for Advancing Computing Power Infrastructure
We need to coordinately advance the construction of computing power infrastructure. Building on the foundation of intensified research into core technologies for computing chips, we should optimize the spatial layout of the computing power network, actively promote the practical application of computing power, and build a sound industrial ecosystem to promote the high-quality development of China's digital economy.
Advance breakthroughs in key technologies for computing chips to solidify the foundation of computing power development. First, we must leverage the advantages of the new-type whole-of-nation system [5], focusing on core areas and key directions of computing chips to increase R&D support. Through major technological innovation projects such as national key R&D plans, major specials, and national funds, we should increase support for research in semiconductor equipment, materials, and key processes. Second, encourage multiple stakeholders—including universities, research institutes, and enterprises—to participate, accelerating breakthroughs in key core chip technologies and promoting basic and original technical breakthroughs in large-model algorithms and frameworks, thereby enhancing the level of localization and independent innovation capacity. Third, explore diversified investment mechanisms, leveraging the leading role of government investment funds, encouraging local governments to increase investment in the computing power industry, while innovating social financing models to encourage social capital to flow into the sector.
Strengthen top-level design and optimize the spatial layout of the computing power network. First, deploy the computing power industry with moderate anticipation [6]. Based on the "East Data, West Computing" project, strengthen holistic planning and coordination, deploy in key areas with moderate anticipation, and enhance policy synergies to form a unified and coordinated decision-making mechanism. Second, bridge computing power infrastructure construction holistically, strengthen the construction of national hub nodes for an integrated network, advance infrastructure construction based on demand, and improve utilization efficiency. Simultaneously, guide the transfer of computing power resources to western provinces such as Guizhou and Gansu to meet the computing needs of low-latency businesses.
Promote the integrated development of green energy and the computing power network. First, strengthen policy coordination, research the implementation paths, institutional mechanisms, and standard specifications for the coordinated development of green power and the computing power network, and clarify key promotion directions. Second, coordinate the layout of green power and computing power transmission. Prioritize the layout of computing centers in areas rich in green power resources and low power costs, transferring the demands of the eastern coastal areas to western centers via information networks to reduce costs. Third, promote the joint dispatch of green power and computing power. Fully leverage the flexible adjustment characteristics of computing centers and strengthen joint dispatching to match computing power with the characteristics of renewable energy, promoting the consumption of renewable energy and ensuring the safety of power grid operations.
Expand application scenarios for the computing power network and cultivate a sound industrial ecosystem. First, provide personalized solutions tailored to the different needs of various industries and fields, and actively explore valuable application scenarios that can be promoted and replicated. Second, use application demonstrations as a guide to promote the landing of computing services in more scenarios. Focus on typical industries such as the industrial internet, intelligent transportation, and digital government, continuously promoting computing power to assist in the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. Third, focus on building the ecosystem of hardware and software related to computing power, strengthening the adaptation and synergy of hardware, basic software, and application software. We must enhance the level of industrial foundation modernization [7], driving multiple parties in the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain to form a synergy and jointly build a sound development ecosystem.
(This article is a phased achievement of the National Social Science Fund Major Project "Research on the Synergy and Mutual Promotion Mechanism of Innovation and Governance for High-Quality Development of the Digital Economy" (22&ZD071))
(The authors are: Associate Researcher at the Institute of Quantitative and Technological Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; and Grade II Researcher at the Institute of Quantitative and Technological Economics, CASS / Laboratory of Economic Big Data and Policy Evaluation, CASS)
Source: Guangming Daily, January 17, 2025 Web Editor: Huihui