China has built a complete Artificial Intelligence (AI) industrial system with the scale of computing power ranking among the top in the world, said the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on Friday.
According to the MIIT, China has built industrial datasets in sectors including steel and coal and has cultivated a number of highly competitive general-purpose and industry-specific large models.
AI's advancement in algorithms follows two primary directions: general-purpose large models and industry-specific large models. While general-purpose large models, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and DeepMind's Gemini, excel in multimodal and multilingual processing, accelerating the adoption of generative AI, industry-specific large models such as AlphaFold have revolutionized biology by predicting protein structures.
"New breakthroughs have been made in the AI large model technology, with rapid progress in model capacity development and application in specific scenarios. The total number of standard racks in use at computing power centers nationwide has exceeded nine million, while the country's total computing power has reached 280 EFLOPS," said Xie Shaofeng, chief engineer with the MIIT.
EFLOPS is a measurement unit used to determine a computer's speed. One EFLOPS computing system can complete 1 quintillion floating-point operations per second.
Moreover, large models are being rapidly implemented in industries including electronics, raw materials, and consumer goods, and are being applied in various stages including research and development and design, pilot-scale testing, production, and operations management. There have been over one hundred intelligent products including AI smartphones, AI computers and AI glasses, developed by domestic manufacturers, said the ministry.
The ministry has also coordinated with provincial governments to develop 11 national-level AI innovation pilot zones. Meanwhile, central and local authorities have jointly built specialized manufacturing innovation centers for embodied AI robots, humanoid robots, and other next-gen technologies to drive the development of industrial clusters.
In addition, the MIIT has established a 60 billion yuan (8.2 billion U.S. dollar) national AI fund jointly with China's Ministry of Finance to accelerate investment in related fields.
China makes great strides in building AI industrial system: authorities
China makes great strides in building AI industrial system: authorities
Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday China is willing to work with Lesotho to strengthen exchanges on governance experience, enhance coordination in multilateral affairs, and advance the China-Lesotho strategic partnership.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with Lesotho Prime Minister Sam Matekane in the capital of Lesotho.
During the meeting, Wang congratulated Lesotho on the 60th anniversary of its independence this year, and spoke highly of Lesotho government's efforts to prioritize economic development and steer the African country onto a path of sustainable growth. Since the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2024, the two sides have advanced cooperation under the 10 partnership action plans unveiled at the summit, successfully implementing a number of key projects to effectively promote Lesotho's development and revitalization, Wang said.
China stands ready to work with Lesotho to strengthen exchanges on governance experience, enhance coordination in multilateral affairs, and push for greater development of the China-Lesotho strategic partnership, he added.
Calling on the two sides to firmly support each other, Wang said that China will accelerate the implementation of its zero-tariff policy for African countries, including Lesotho, expand bilateral trade, investment and industrial cooperation, facilitate broader access of Lesotho's specialty products to the Chinese market, and continue to support Lesotho's national development.
China will continue to stand firmly with African countries, uphold justice for the Global South, including Lesotho, oppose unilateralism and acts of bullying, and work together to build a community with a shared future for humanity, Wang said.
On his part, Matekane said during the meeting that Lesotho cherishes its friendship with China and the strategic partnership between the two countries, and expressed gratitude for China's valuable support for the development of African countries, including Lesotho.
Lesotho firmly adheres to the one-China principle and resolutely supports China in safeguarding its core interests, he said, noting that his country stands ready to strengthen strategic mutual trust with China, expand people-to-people exchanges, jointly implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, and deepen cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, manufacturing and energy.
Matekane stressed that China's zero-tariff policy for African products will inject new impetus into Lesotho's development. He also expressed Lesotho's willingness to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with China on multilateral platforms such as BRICS to jointly address global challenges.
On the same day, Wang also held talks with Lejone Mpotjoana, minister of foreign affairs and international relations of Lesotho.
China, Lesotho to strengthen exchanges, advance cooperation
China, Lesotho to strengthen exchanges, advance cooperation
