China's He Lifeng urges more financing for AI and computing on Shanxi tour
In brief
- Vice Premier He Lifeng called for more money for AI and computing, Crypto Briefing reported.
- Shanxi Province was the site of the remarks, made during a November 1-2 inspection tour.
- Linking computing power with electricity planning was his central theme.
- China's intelligent computing capacity stood at 2,185 EFLOPS as of June 30, per Crypto Briefing.
Linking compute and power
The vice premier visited energy, technology and renewables projects in the cities of Datong and Shuozhou, according to Crypto Briefing. His central theme was linking computing power and electricity. Those two areas usually get planned separately, and he pressed for faster, coordinated development of both (plus the build-out of computing power networks).
The location matters. Shanxi has long been associated with coal, and the province is trying to diversify toward a broader mix of energy sources, the report noted.
He Lifeng singled out power-dependent sectors such as coal and renewables as areas where the work could pay off.
Financing at the center
Crypto Briefing said his recent statements have put financing for infrastructure at the center of the push to integrate AI across Chinese industries. He framed the effort as essential to high-quality growth and technological upgrading. The ask, as reported, was for effective investment; it wasn't described as a specific funding pledge.
The same report put China's intelligent computing capacity at 2,185 EFLOPS as of June 30, 2026, and cited projections that capacity could rise to approximately 9,800 EFLOPS by 2030. It didn't say where either figure came from.
The policy backdrop
Crypto Briefing tied the remarks to two bigger policy threads. They followed the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the outlet placed the push within China's 15th Five-Year Plan, which aims to boost domestic production and technological self-reliance.
He Lifeng has served as Vice Premier since March 2023, succeeding Liu He in various roles. He oversees broad economic planning and has repeatedly emphasized combining scientific innovation with industry.
In Shanxi, per the report, he paired computing power with electricity and stressed effective investment.
