China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has launched a centralised programme to build national computing-power interconnection nodes, aiming to standardise how compute resources are registered, scheduled and shared across regions and industries. The notice establishes two complementary tracks: regional nodes to knit together local compute supply and demand, and industry nodes to concentrate and marketise compute resources for specific sectors.
Regional nodes will host unified service platforms that provide identification and registration, interconnection scheduling, resource aggregation and selection, operational monitoring and security management. MIIT envisions these platforms as comprehensive “compute-internet” service centres that make different architectures and providers interoperable and allow computing capacity to flow efficiently between areas.
Industry nodes will run sector-specific platforms that aggregate computing resources, manage compute identifiers and enable market-based selection of services; they must interconnect with the regional nodes. The aim is to create an integrated topology so that, for example, manufacturing, finance or healthcare can tap standardised compute pools tailored to their compliance and performance needs.
The ministry set entry conditions to limit who can build and operate the nodes. Applicants must name a construction entity with at least RMB 50 million in registered capital and sustained funding capacity, and an operating entity that holds the required telecom business licences (other than public institutions), has appropriate facilities, equipment and personnel, and has no major credit or integrity breaches in the past three years.
The policy is a significant piece in Beijing's broader strategy to secure a domestic compute backbone for artificial intelligence and industrial digitalisation. By defining technical functions and institutional qualifications, MIIT is steering the market toward interoperable platforms while concentrating operational authority in licenced operators—principally telecom carriers and large cloud or data-centre firms.
If implemented at scale, the node programme will expand demand for data‑centre capacity, specialised AI accelerators and networking gear, favour established incumbents and create new opportunities for chipmakers and system integrators. It will also tighten the regulatory architecture around compute and data flows, reinforcing state oversight of critical infrastructure at a time when Beijing is prioritising technology self-reliance.