Commentary: China is betting on spreading AI faster than the US can contain it
China is aggressively pursuing AI development while simultaneously building domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities to bypass Western export restrictions. Analysts suggest that China's focus on real-world AI deployment may be more strategically significant than competing solely on model intelligence.
Why it matters
The race for AI dominance and semiconductor self-sufficiency is a central pillar of current US-China geopolitical and technological competition.
China is showing it can pursue frontier AI while deploying it widely in the real world. For Asia, that may matter more than who has the smartest new model, says Enodo Economics’ Diana Choyleva.
Visitors stand near advertisement for leading Chinese commercial humanoid robotics firm Unitree Robotics during the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China, on July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
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