China's AI Strategy All About Serving The State

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This isn't just a singular initiative but part of a broader trend. AI-driven surveillance systems, like the
facial recognition technology
deployed across the Xinjiang region of China, enable the government to maintain tight control over the area's minority Muslim Uyghur population.

Photo: Finn Mayer-Kuckuk / X Screengrab

These technologies are not groundbreaking. They build on existing innovations but are finely tuned to serve the Communist Party's efforts to maintain social order and prevent dissent. China's AI prowess comes not by creating the newest technology but by mastering and deploying AI in ways that align with its ideological imperatives.

AI for economic control

China's AI strategy is also deeply intertwined with its economic ambitions. Faced with slowing growth , the Communist Party views technology as the essential tool for pulling the country out of its economic slowdown.

This is particularly evident in sectors such as manufacturing and logistics, where AI is used to drive efficiencies and maintain China's competitive edge in global supply chains. For example, companies such as online retail giant Alibaba have developed AI-driven logistics platforms that optimize delivery routes and manage warehouse operations , ensuring that China remains the factory of the world.

Additionally, China's social credit system , which rates citizens on their civic and financial behavior, represents a significant strategic initiative where AI plays an increasingly crucial role.

China's system is designed to monitor and influence citizen behavior on a massive scale. Although AI is not yet fully implemented across the entire social credit system, it is being integrated to track and analyze vast amounts of data, such as financial transactions, online interactions and social relationships in real time.

This data are then used to assign scores that can
affect various aspects of life, from loan approvals to travel permissions . As AI becomes increasingly embedded in the system, it is likely, I believe, to further reinforce state control and ensure societal compliance, prioritizing government oversight over personal autonomy.

Strategic exports

On the international stage, China is exporting its AI technologies to expand its influence, particularly in developing nations.

Through the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese tech giants such as Huawei and ZTE are providing AI-driven surveillance systems to governments in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America. These systems, often framed as tools for improving public safety , are part of a larger strategy to export China's governance model.

For instance, in Zimbabwe, Chinese firms have helped implement a nationwide facial recognition system under the guise of combating crime. Political activists in Zimbabwe fear that technology is being used to monitor political opponents and activists , mirroring its use in China.

By exporting AI technologies that are tightly integrated with state control, China is not only expanding its market share but also promoting its authoritarian model as a viable alternative to Western democracy.