China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on Wednesday released a three-year implementation plan aimed at accelerating the deep integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with the country's information and communications sector, setting ambitious targets for autonomous networks, expanded computing-power coverage, and widespread AI applications by 2028.
\n\n
The guideline, covering the 2026 to 2028 period, targets the information and communications networks to reach an initial stage of high-level autonomous intelligence within the next two years. Among the key benchmarks, the plan calls for more than 30 high-value AI use cases across the sector, a number of specialized intelligent agents, and at least 75 percent coverage of one-millisecond-latency access to computing power in metropolitan areas across China.
\n\n
The initiative comes as the Chinese government continues to prioritize AI development as a core pillar of national economic and technological strategy. MIIT officials noted that AI technologies are currently in a period of rapid iteration and accelerating breakthroughs, making their integration with information and communications infrastructure both a critical opportunity and a complex systemic challenge.
\n\n
"The deep integration of AI with information and communications remains complex and systemic, due to challenges in terms of key technological breakthroughs, integration pathways, and business model innovation," the ministry said in its announcement.
\n\n
By 2030, China aims to achieve significant breakthroughs in core technologies for integrating AI with information and communications networks, greatly improve integrated sensing, communications, computing, and intelligence service capabilities, and build a complete collaborative innovation and industrial ecosystem.
\n\n
The plan outlines 17 specific tasks across four key areas: intelligent upgrading of the information and communications industry, strengthening the foundation for AI development, promoting integrated applications, and enhancing industry governance. These tasks include research into AI-driven new network architectures, advances in technologies such as collaboration between large and small AI models, multi-agent collaboration, and intelligent agent communications.
\n\n
Additionally, the plan calls for faster construction of major computing power channels, improved network resource scheduling, and expanded deployment of computing infrastructure to support the growing demands of AI workloads across the nation.
\n\n
China has been aggressively scaling up its AI capabilities in recent years, positioning itself as a global leader in AI research, patent filings, and industrial deployment. The new three-year plan represents a further push to embed AI deeply into the foundational infrastructure that powers China's digital economy.
\n\n
Observers note that the plan aligns with China's broader "New Quality Productive Forces" strategy, which emphasizes technology-driven growth, and the country's push for high-level self-reliance in critical technologies. By integrating AI directly into the national communications backbone, Beijing aims to create an intelligent infrastructure layer that can support everything from autonomous manufacturing to smart city services and next-generation telecommunications.
\n\n
Analysts say the 75 percent low-latency computing power target for metropolitan areas is particularly significant, as it would provide the real-time processing capacity needed for advanced AI applications including autonomous driving, industrial robotics, and smart grid management. The initiative also signals China's intent to build an AI-ready national network well ahead of global competitors.
\n\n
The ministry stated that by 2028, it expects the information and communications networks to have achieved an initial stage of high-level autonomous intelligence, fundamentally transforming how network resources are managed and allocated across the country.
\n
