NEW FRONT‑LINE REGIONS
But innovations and developments are not confined to the coast.
Inland and central provinces are using AI as a lever to climb the industrial ladder.
In central China, the city of Wuhan is pivoting its Optics Valley – an area long known for fibre‑optic production – into an AI‑plus optics and sensor hub.
On Mar 17, it held an AI+ Action Advancement Conference and announced that its AI industry had grown to over 60 billion yuan in 2025, accounting for more than 60 per cent of Wuhan’s total – with new products including an AI‑chip‑plus‑large‑model CNC system and the Zidong Taichu 4.0 model.
Wuhan officials said its AI industry was moving from “foundation laying” to “comprehensive development” and has set ambitious targets for 2026: more than 80 billion yuan in AI‑industry output, over 1,000 AI firms and around 500 one‑person AI companies.
Down south, the city of Chongqing is scaling up along three axes: EVs, AI and chips.
At its local “Two Sessions” in early March, officials reported that the Chengdu‑Chongqing economic circle had become China’s third‑largest auto cluster, with nearly 4 million vehicles produced in 2025, including 2.79 million in the city alone.
It now wants to build a “world‑class cluster” for intelligent connected new‑energy vehicles (NEVs) – spanning vehicle assembly, core components, advanced materials, software and services.
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