中文
By Maya Majueran
Lead: By treating AI as a public good rather than a proprietary product, China is establishing itself as the technology partner of choice for Global South nations, offering an alternative to Silicon Valley's profit-driven model that locks countries into dependency.
Artificial intelligence has become a defining force of the 21st century — a tool capable of reshaping economies, societies and global development trajectories. As governments and industries race to harness its potential, AI is no longer simply a technological frontier but increasingly a geopolitical one, influencing how nations compete, cooperate and situate themselves within the evolving global order.
While global debates often focus on Western tech giants and their profit-driven models, a different narrative is gaining momentum, one led by China and grounded in accessibility, sustainability and shared progress, particularly across the Global South.
China's AI achievements extend beyond technological prowess, reflecting a long-term vision that aligns innovation with inclusive development. With China's core AI industry reaching a 1.2 trillion yuan ($170 billion) valuation in 2025, the nation has demonstrated how a coordinated national strategy, vast market scale and an emphasis on real-world deployment can accelerate growth while balancing innovation and societal needs.
Crucially, China stands out for deliberately directing its technological advances toward inclusive human development. This is especially significant for the Global South, long sidelined by the global digital divide. China's commitment is evident not only in its domestic strategies but also in its international partnerships, where it treats AI as a catalyst for shared growth rather than a privilege reserved for developed economies.
Through investments in digital infrastructure, education, health care and smart governance, China seeks to empower developing regions to skip over traditional development stages and more effectively participate in the emerging digital economy. In doing so, it offers an alternative model, one that links technological leadership with a broader vision of equitable global progress.
Unlike the Silicon Valley paradigm, where cutting-edge innovation often comes with premium costs and restrictive licensing, China's AI ecosystem prioritizes practicality and accessibility. By integrating AI with world-class manufacturing and expansive logistics networks, China has reduced deployment costs and accelerated implementation across agriculture, health care and public services. This enables developing nations to adopt AI solutions like smart crop monitoring, telemedicine platforms or urban traffic management without prohibitive investment. This pragmatic approach appeals particularly to countries seeking rapid, scalable and affordable digital transformation.
Researchers adjust a humanoid robot at an AI laboratory on Jan. 31, 2024. [Photo by Jin Liwang/Xinhua]
China's "East Data, West Computing" initiative further highlights how environmental responsibility can be woven into technological growth. By establishing data centers in renewable-energy-rich regions and enforcing stringent efficiency standards, China is working to mitigate the carbon footprint of AI expansion.
This "green AI" model offers a blueprint for climate-vulnerable Global South nations, allowing them to pursue digitalization without worsening environmental damage. Meanwhile, Chinese AI applications in energy grid optimization and environmental monitoring provide concrete tools to address sustainability challenges.
Perhaps the most striking contrast lies in China's philosophy of technology as a public good. Through open-source platforms, training programs and bilateral cooperation agreements, China actively shares its AI knowledge and infrastructure with partner nations.
Initiatives such as the Digital Silk Road, under the Belt and Road Initiative, include dedicated AI capacity-building efforts, enabling countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and beyond to develop their own digital ecosystems. This stands in sharp contrast to proprietary, profit-driven models that risk entrenching technological dependency rather than fostering self-reliance and long-term digital sovereignty.
The impact of China's approach is already visible. Ethiopia, Pakistan and Indonesia are leveraging Chinese AI partnerships to enhance public safety, streamline transportation and boost agricultural productivity. In Kenya and Nigeria, Chinese firms are supporting AI-powered mobile health platforms that improve diagnostics and bring medical services to remote areas.
Across Southeast Asia, companies such as Huawei and Alibaba are enabling cities in Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia to deploy smart-traffic systems, intelligent energy grids and digital payment infrastructure. In Latin America, Chinese collaborations in Brazil and Chile are advancing AI-driven environmental monitoring, from wildfire prediction to deforestation tracking.
A humanoid robot takes selfies with a visitor at the 7th World Voice Expo in Hefei, East China's Anhui province, Oct 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
AI-enabled educational tools are expanding access to quality learning in rural Africa, helping overcome teacher shortages and resource gaps. In Central Asia, Chinese-supported AI systems are improving water management and crop forecasting, strengthening resilience to climate variability.
What unites these diverse initiatives is their emphasis on adaptability. Rather than exporting one-size-fits-all solutions, China engages in co-development with local governments, universities and businesses. As a result, AI is presented not as a product to be purchased, but as a capability to be built, refined and sustained.
China's AI journey underscores a vital lesson: technology should be a bridge, not a barrier. By prioritizing cooperation over control, sustainability over short-term gain and inclusivity over exclusivity, China is helping shape a more equitable digital future. For the Global South, this represents an opportunity to leapfrog traditional development hurdles and build resilient, innovation-driven economies.
The future of AI development hangs in the balance. Will it be driven by profit-centered monopolies or people-centered partnerships? China's model, though not without its challenges, offers a compelling vision of how technology can advance human progress when shared openly and responsibly. By embracing this spirit of collaboration, the Global South can benefit from AI's transformative power while ensuring it develops ethically and equitably.
Maya Majueran is the founding director of Belt and Road Initiative Sri Lanka (BRISL), an organization dedicated to research and dialogue on the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. He is also a researcher and commentator on international relations, economics and geopolitics, focusing on Asia and the Global South's evolving role in world affairs.
