National Committee Member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Lian Yuming: Let the computing power "run" and weave a nationwide network

People’s Daily Reporter Zhou Wen

Looking toward the “14th Five-Year Plan,” how to better build a nationwide integrated computing power network has become a key focus of attention. Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Founding Director of the Beijing International Urban Development Research Institute, Lian Yuming, offers suggestions on this topic, proposing adjustments to optimize the “East Data, West Computing” strategic layout and the construction of a classified and graded national computing power system to lay a solid foundation for high-quality digital economic development.

What exactly is “computing power”? It is invisible and intangible, yet it constantly influences our lives and is a critical productivity in the digital economy era. Since the comprehensive launch of the “East Data, West Computing” project in 2022, the country has planned and built eight major hubs and ten clusters, initially forming the backbone of the national computing network. The “14th Five-Year Plan” recommends moderately advancing the construction of new infrastructure, promoting the development and efficient utilization of information communication networks, the integrated national computing power network, and major scientific infrastructure, as well as updating traditional infrastructure and transforming into digital intelligence.

Lian Yuming stated that, against the backdrop of the rapid emergence of new productive forces driven by artificial intelligence, China’s computing power development has achieved remarkable results, but also reveals deep structural contradictions in layout, coordination, and green electricity.

He specifically pointed out four main challenges: a mismatch between supply and demand in computing power structure, excess low-end computing resources but insufficient high-end intelligent computing power, low utilization of general computing resources in the western regions, and a tight supply of intelligent computing power urgently needed by eastern industries; serious “computing power islands” phenomena, inconsistent technical standards, and an underdeveloped market mechanism, making cross-regional and cross-entity computing resource flow and flexible scheduling difficult; network latency and cost constraints, with incomplete cross-regional high-speed direct connection networks and high transmission costs, weakening the western regions’ computing advantage and hindering real-time business development; and low levels of “computing and electricity” coordination, insufficient green transformation of data centers and integration with new power systems, preventing the full发挥 of clean energy advantages.

In response to these issues, Lian Yuming suggests accelerating the optimization of the national computing power strategic layout, constructing a nationwide, classified, and scenario-driven national computing power system. He proposes four specific measures: building a three-tier computing architecture of “National—Regional—Edge,” implementing precise functional layouts; establishing classified guidance and unified scheduling mechanisms to promote efficient allocation of computing resources; strengthening key technological breakthroughs and network cost reduction to solidify integrated operation foundations; and deepening innovation in computing and electricity coordination and market tools application to promote green and inclusive development of computing power.