Xi calls for national integrated computing power network, spotlighting Inner Mongolia

Chinese President Xi Jinping wants computing power to behave more like electricity. Under that model, it would be generated where it is cheap, moved across the country, and consumed wherever demand happens to be. Speaking in Inner Mongolia, Xi called for building a national integrated computing power network and for deeper integration of the digital economy with the real economy. Why Inner Mongolia keeps winning the data centers Electricity costs in the region average around 0.33–0.35 yuan per kWh, backed by abundant renewable energy. Connections from Inner Mongolia to major economic centers like Beijing run at under 5 ms of latency. As of May 2026, Inner Mongolia’s computing power totaled 315,000 petaflops, roughly one-seventh of China’s national capacity. Of that, 297,000 petaflops counts as intelligent computing, the category built for AI training and inference. As of the first half of 2026, 20 of China’s 30 leading private computing companies were operating in Inner Mongolia, with investment exceeding 200 billion yuan. Ulanqab has signed agreements for 89 data center projects. Of those, 86 are AI-focused, with total computing capacity of approximately 15 GW. State-owned China M...