China's computing power networks are set to receive a substantial new direct investment of four trillion yuan (589.2 billion U.S. dollars) during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), said an official from the country's top economic planner.
This initiative, part of the East Data, West Computing initiative, focuses on eight national computing power hub nodes, establishing millisecond-level computing service circles across major eastern and western regions.
A new national integrated computing network monitoring and scheduling platform has recently entered trial operation, with over 60 percent of the nation’s computing power integrated into the system.
This system enhances computing access and matching capabilities, supporting more than 100 application scenarios, including artificial intelligence, industrial manufacturing, and scientific research.
"During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we expect four trillion yuan in new direct investment for constructing computing power networks, with social investment accounting for the majority. Key areas such as computing power monitoring and scheduling, computing-electricity coordination and ultra-large-scale AI computing clusters will create significant investment opportunities for various market entities, empowering the digital and intelligent transformation of numerous industries and supporting the high-quality development of China's digital economy," said Guo Mingjun, director of the computing economy division at the State Information Center under National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
China's computing power networks to see 4 trln yuan in new direct investment during 2026-2030
Russian political experts said the upcoming talks between Russia, the United States and Ukraine amount to technical consultations, with almost no room for negotiation on core issues, making major breakthroughs unlikely.
The trilateral talks on the Ukraine issue will be held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, from Tuesday to Wednesday. Security guarantees for the parties, confidence-building measures and humanitarian efforts are among the topics for discussion.
"These are consultations, not negotiations. Discussions are underway on important, but in principle, technical questions. That is, they will not talk about territories, they will not talk about the nature of the regime, they will not talk about Ukraine's internal rules regarding language and Russian culture," said Dmitry Trenin, chairman of the Russian International Affairs Council.
"In my view, the Ukrainian side is not independent. The shadow of the European Union is always looming there. And in current conditions, the Europeans, by and large, do not want to make concessions to Russia," said Andrey Sidorov, associate professor at the History Department of Moscow State University.
Russian President Vladimir Putin set out Moscow's position at a meeting with the Foreign Ministry leadership in June 2024, saying Russia would declare a ceasefire and begin talks as soon as Ukrainian forces withdraw from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions and Kiev announces it will not join NATO.
"When our president articulated these demands, a corresponding caveat was made - that if you do not meet us halfway now, our positions may harden according to the real situation on the ground. And Ukraine and the West are letting the time slip away," said Andrey Koshkin, head of the Department of Political Analysis and Socio-Psychological Processes at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.
Ahead of the Abu Dhabi talks, a humanitarian operation was carried out in the city of Oleshky in the Kherson region in southern Ukraine, evacuating hundreds of civilians to safe locations.
According to Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov, Russia prioritizes achieving its goals by peaceful means. On Friday, Putin also invited members of the Russian negotiation team to a meeting with Federal Security Council members to discuss the upcoming trilateral talks.
"It can be said with certainty that we will definitely not compromise on territories. But for everything else -- the size of the Ukrainian army, the security zone, security guarantees for Ukraine from the West, they can be discussed," said Konstantin Blokhin, a leading researcher at the Center for Security Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Russian experts expect little breakthrough from Russia-U.S.-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi
