Readiness
82/100Capacity across five enabling pillarsAsia-Pacific · #1 in region
China
AI Readiness Score
Limited coverageiCoverage describes source availability, not statistical certainty.
- Live
- 0/23
- Years
- Not reported
- Fallback
- 100%
SATURDAY, OCT 31, 20262026 EDITION · 17 INDICATORS
VOL. III · 2026 EDITION
The AI Trajectory IndexMenu
Executive summary
Current standing, trajectory, and source coverage.
Readiness and Adoption
Capacity to build AI compared with evidence of AI use today.
Adoption
90/100High AdoptionTrajectory
+4/10PositiveReadiness vs Adoption: Radar
Blue = readiness capacity · Green = active adoption · Each axis pairs the closest dimension from each framework
| Dimension pair | Readiness | Adoption |
|---|---|---|
| Infra / Gov | 18/20 | 19/20 |
| Talent / Demand | 17/20 | 16/20 |
| Governance / Enterprise | 13/20 | 18/20 |
| Investment / Pipeline | 17/20 | 17/20 |
| Economy / Consumer | 17/20 | 20/20 |
Pillar evidence
Scores, supporting evidence, and the exact inputs behind each contribution.
Infrastructure
World's largest 5G network with over 3 million base stations deployed
- Massive state-backed data centre expansion; Huawei and domestic cloud ecosystems scaling rapidly
- Domestic GPU and chip ecosystem (Biren, Cambricon) advancing despite export restrictions
View score inputs
| Input | Value | Year | Source | Contribution | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed broadband subscriptionsFixed broadband subscriptions unavailable; used 6/20 of the static Infrastructure baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 5.4 / 6 pts | Fallback |
| Individuals using the internetIndividuals using the internet unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Infrastructure baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 2.7 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| Mobile subscriptionsMobile subscriptions unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Infrastructure baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 2.7 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| Access to electricityAccess to electricity unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Infrastructure baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 2.7 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| Infrastructure quality baselineInfrastructure quality baseline unavailable; used 5/20 of the static Infrastructure baseline. | Not available | Not reported | AI Trajectory Index | 4.5 / 5 pts | Fallback |
Talent
Produces the highest volume of STEM graduates globally, with AI specialisation growing
- Strong domestic AI research output — top contributor to NeurIPS/ICML papers
- Restricted access to frontier Western models constrains certain research directions
View score inputs
| Input | Value | Year | Source | Contribution | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross tertiary enrolmentGross tertiary enrolment unavailable; used 6/20 of the static Talent baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 5.1 / 6 pts | Fallback |
| Labour productivityLabour productivity unavailable; used 6/20 of the static Talent baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 5.1 / 6 pts | Fallback |
| ResearchersResearchers unavailable; used 2/20 of the static Talent baseline. | Not available | Not reported | OECD Data Explorer | 1.7 / 2 pts | Fallback |
| Global Innovation IndexGlobal Innovation Index unavailable; used 1/20 of the static Talent baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Intellectual Property Organization | 0.8 / 1 pts | Fallback |
| Talent quality baselineTalent quality baseline unavailable; used 5/20 of the static Talent baseline. | Not available | Not reported | AI Trajectory Index | 4.3 / 5 pts | Fallback |
Governance
National New Generation AI Development Plan sets 2030 AI global leadership target
- Strict censorship and content controls shape (and limit) domestic LLM development
- Regulatory uncertainty for private sector — crackdowns on tech companies create investment hesitancy
View score inputs
| Input | Value | Year | Source | Contribution | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of LawRule of Law unavailable; used 5/20 of the static Governance baseline. | Not available | Not reported | Worldwide Governance Indicators | 3.3 / 5 pts | Fallback |
| Government EffectivenessGovernment Effectiveness unavailable; used 4/20 of the static Governance baseline. | Not available | Not reported | Worldwide Governance Indicators | 2.6 / 4 pts | Fallback |
| Regulatory QualityRegulatory Quality unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Governance baseline. | Not available | Not reported | Worldwide Governance Indicators | 2.0 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| National AI strategyNational AI strategy unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Governance baseline. | Not available | Not reported | OECD.AI Policy Observatory | 2.0 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| AI strategy recencyAI strategy recency unavailable; used 2/20 of the static Governance baseline. | Not available | Not reported | OECD.AI Policy Observatory | 1.3 / 2 pts | Fallback |
| AI regulation in forceAI regulation in force unavailable; used 1/20 of the static Governance baseline. | Not available | Not reported | OECD.AI Policy Observatory | 0.7 / 1 pts | Fallback |
| Government AI readinessGovernment AI readiness unavailable; used 2/20 of the static Governance baseline. | Not available | Not reported | Oxford Insights | 1.3 / 2 pts | Fallback |
Investment
State-backed sovereign AI investment exceeding $15B annually through national funds
- US chip export controls (BIS Entity List, H100 bans) create long-term hardware bottleneck
- Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei collectively investing tens of billions in AI infrastructure
View score inputs
| Input | Value | Year | Source | Contribution | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R&D expenditureR&D expenditure unavailable; used 6/20 of the static Investment baseline. | Not available | Not reported | OECD Data Explorer, then World Bank Open Data | 5.1 / 6 pts | Fallback |
| FDI net inflowsFDI net inflows unavailable; used 5/20 of the static Investment baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 4.3 / 5 pts | Fallback |
| Government expenditureGovernment expenditure unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Investment baseline. | Not available | Not reported | IMF DataMapper | 2.5 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| Capital ecosystem baselineCapital ecosystem baseline unavailable; used 6/20 of the static Investment baseline. | Not available | Not reported | AI Trajectory Index | 5.1 / 6 pts | Fallback |
Economic Readiness
1.4 billion consumer market for AI products with high mobile adoption rates
- Manufacturing sector AI integration accelerating — factory robotics, quality control
- Geopolitical isolation from Western AI ecosystems limits international commercialisation
View score inputs
| Input | Value | Year | Source | Contribution | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita, PPPGDP per capita, PPP unavailable; used 6/20 of the static Economic Readiness baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 5.1 / 6 pts | Fallback |
| Private-sector creditPrivate-sector credit unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Economic Readiness baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 2.5 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| Trade opennessTrade openness unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Economic Readiness baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 2.5 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| Services value addedServices value added unavailable; used 3/20 of the static Economic Readiness baseline. | Not available | Not reported | World Bank Open Data | 2.5 / 3 pts | Fallback |
| Market capacity baselineMarket capacity baseline unavailable; used 5/20 of the static Economic Readiness baseline. | Not available | Not reported | AI Trajectory Index | 4.3 / 5 pts | Fallback |
| Government debt modifierGovernment debt modifier unavailable; no score adjustment was applied. | Not available | Not reported | IMF DataMapper | 0.0 / 0 pts | Fallback |
Outlook and policy gaps
Forward direction, constraints, and a structured country brief.
Projected 2028
88/100+6 points from todayTop accelerator
National AI strategy with state-backed funding and massive proprietary data advantageTop risk
US semiconductor export controls limiting access to advanced AI training hardwareFive-section brief
Country research brief
Generate a concise review of standing, infrastructure and talent, governance, investment, and economic outlook.
News and supporting tools
Recent signals, comparable economies, and optional analysis controls.
Live AI News Feed
The Guardian · Google News · Updated hourly
Comparable countries
Nearest neighbours across the five readiness pillars.
Analysis toolsWhat-if model, roadmap, AI Q&A, embed, and print controls
AI Development Roadmap
Algorithmic roadmap based on pillar scores · Updated with live data
◉Leadership Phase
China is in the Leadership Phase
Setting global norms and frontier research. Projected score by 2028: 88/100.
2028 Timeline
▶
Now
Score 82
2
2025–26
Contributing to global AI safety standards
3
2026–27
Frontier research output in top 10 globally
4
2028
AI sector generating >2% of GDP
Priority Actions — 3 Weakest Pillars
⬟Governance & Policy
13/20Near
Lead multilateral AI safety standards at G20 / GPAI forums
Mid
Establish domestic AI audit and certification infrastructure for high-risk systems
◈AI Talent
17/20Near
Expand elite research cohorts; partner with top-10 global universities
Mid
Develop specialised AI talent in healthcare, agriculture, and climate sectors
◇Investment & R&D
17/20Near
Anchor a global AI investment hub with special economic zone incentives
Mid
Co-invest with pension funds in frontier AI labs and semiconductor supply chain
Roadmap generated algorithmically from pillar scores and World Bank data. Actions are indicative policy priorities, not official government plans.