China 2025: The Cloud as a Tool for Digital Power and Sovereignty

By 2025, China has definitively elevated Cloud Computing (云计算, Yún Jìsuàn) from a mere technology service to an infrastructure of critical national security. The new Guidelines for the Comprehensive Cloud Computing Standardization System (2025 Edition) (《云计算综合标准化体系建设指南(2025版)》) are a manifesto of this technological sovereignty.

The primary goal of Beijing is twofold:

1. Technological: To dominate the next generation of infrastructure through the advancement of the Intelligent Computing Cloud (智算云), which is cloud optimized for Artificial Intelligence (AI) workloads.

2. Geopolitical: To ensure technological autonomy and control over the entire supply chain (from chips to applications), embedding these Chinese Standards (China Standards) into the international framework to expand its influence, in direct opposition to the model of Internet governance promoted by the United States.

This ambitious strategy is the epicenter of the clash between major powers (US-China), where control over data (数据, shùjù) and computing power is the new frontier of the Holistic National Security Concept (总体国家安全观).

The image depicts a cloud icon at the center of a digital network, with the Chinese flag and key strategic terms in Chinese indicating China's role in the standardization, security, autonomy, and development of the intelligent cloud.

I. Strategic Scenario and Intelligence on Chinese Cloud (2025)

To understand the new standardization rules, it is essential to frame the market status and the political and academic forces driving it.

1. Market Status and National Leaders

The Chinese cloud computing market is the second largest in the world and continues to grow rapidly, thanks primarily to massive state spending and forced digitalization.

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud Computing is the delivery of computing services (such as servers, storage, databases, software, network) over the Internet. Instead of installing expensive servers and software on-premise, companies "rent" these resources from large suppliers (cloud providers) who host them in massive data centers.

The services are divided into three main categories:

• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): Renting pure computing power (servers, virtual machines).

• PaaS (Platform as a Service): Renting an environment for developing and managing applications.

• SaaS (Software as a Service): Renting software that can be used directly (e.g., email, file storage).

In China, the IaaS market is dominated by a mix of private companies closely aligned with the Party and state-owned or semi-state-owned "national champions": Alibaba Cloud (阿里云, Ālǐyún), Huawei Cloud (华为云, Huáwèi Yún), Tianyi Cloud (天翼云, Tiānyì Yún), Mobile Cloud (移动云, Yídòng Yún), and Tencent Cloud (腾讯云, Téngxùn Yún). The dominance of state or quasi-state actors ensures the government has direct control over almost all national data and digital infrastructure.

2. The New Frontier: Intelligent Computing Cloud (智算云)

The real driver of Chinese cloud growth by 2025 is the necessity for high-performance computing power to fuel Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Cloud-AI Integration (云智融合, Yún Zhì Rónghé)

Traditional Cloud is evolving into the Intelligent Computing Cloud (智算云, Zhìsuàn Yún). This is the cloud optimized for AI, equipped with thousands of specialized chips (mainly GPUs) for training Large Language Models and developing AI systems used across various sectors.

This deep integration of cloud and AI is what the government calls the "New Quality Productive Forces" (新质生产力, Xīn Zhì Shēngchǎnlì), the engine for economic growth based on advanced technological innovation.

3. State Intelligence: Programs and Institutions

The cloud offensive is managed through explicit synergy between politics, academia, and industry.

The Strategy of Autonomy (自主可控)

The general policy under Xi Jinping is to reduce technological dependence. This is framed as "autonomous and controllable development" (自主可控, zìzhǔ kěkòng). The goal is for China to own, develop, and control every segment of the cloud technology supply chain, from chips (芯片, xīnpiàn) to operating systems, to avoid isolation during international sanctions.

The Role of Research Institutions

• CAICT (中国信息通信研究院, Zhōngguó Xìnxī Tōngxìn Yánjiūyuàn): The Chinese Academy of Information and Communications Technology is the main technology think tank for the Ministry of Industry. It produces critical documents and provides the intellectual basis for standardization guidelines, translating the political objectives of the PCC into technical specifications.

• Civil-Military Fusion (军民融合, Jūnmín Rónghé): This is a state principle. It mandates that technology and knowledge developed in the civilian sector—in universities (like Tsinghua University 清华大学 and Peking University 北京大学) and cloud companies—must be made available to the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Cloud, AI, and Big Data are thus direct tools for modernizing China's defense.

Global Projection: The Digital Silk Road (数字丝绸之路)

China exports its standards through the Digital Silk Road (数字丝绸之路). This technological arm of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI - 一带一路) finances the construction of data centers, 5G networks, and cloud infrastructure abroad. By exporting its technology and standards, China creates "technological dependence" and political influence in partner countries, a model actively promoted in international forums like the ITU (International Telecommunication Union).

III. New Standardization Rules and Strategic Purpose (2025)

Standardization is a geostrategic act, aimed at ensuring technological control and economic expansion, particularly in future-defining sectors.

1. The Standardization Framework (2025 Edition)

The Guidelines establish a comprehensive, six-part standardization system, designed to cover the entire cloud lifecycle and ensure state control.

Standards as the "Rulebook" for Control

If Western countries see standards as tools to promote compatibility and competition, China uses them primarily to ensure internal compatibility and state control. The standards serve as a technical blueprint to guarantee:

1. Maximum Compatibility (Efficiency): Ensuring that all Chinese-made components (chip A, OS B, cloud platform C) work flawlessly together, reducing the need for foreign components.

2. Security and Auditing (Control): Defining precisely how data must be managed, archived, and secured, facilitating state audits and ensuring there are no "backdoors" in foreign software that might compromise security.

3. AI Foundation (Future): Providing the technical foundation for the Intelligent Computing Cloud (智算云) and its widespread applications.

The Six Pillars of Chinese Cloud Standardization:

Pillar	Chinese Name	Strategic Relevance
Basic Standards	基础 (Jīchǔ)	Define concepts and general architecture.
Technology Standards	技术 (Jìshù)	Focus on deep integration of heterogeneous computing power (异构算力深度融合) (CPU, GPU, NPU). This is vital for AI, ensuring optimal use of smart computing chips.
Service Standards	服务 (Fúwù)	Define service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), especially promoting new paradigms like AI as a Service (人工智能即服务 - AIaaS/AlaaS), essential for spreading AI power across the economy.
Application Standards	应用 (Yīngyòng)	Specify use-cases for the cloud in critical sectors (finance, manufacturing, health) to promote AI+ (人工智能+).
Management Standards	管理 (Guǎnlǐ)	Govern operational procedures, resource measurement, cost accounting, and energy efficiency.
Security Standards	安全 (Ānquán)	The core pillar for national security. Dictate rules for infrastructure protection, security operations management, and strict compliance with national security laws.

IV. Cybersecurity and the Legal Framework

In China, cybersecurity (网络安全) is inseparable from national security (国家安全). The standards are operational tools for enforcing this legal mandate.

1. The Doctrine of Holistic Security

The core principle is that the stability and resilience of the state depend on controlling the digital space. Any cyber breach is treated as a direct threat to the regime's stability.

The security standards are practical tools for enforcing the state’s "cyber sovereignty" (网络主权)—the right of the state to control the data and networks within its borders. This control is guaranteed by several mandatory national laws.

2. Chinese Laws Governing the Cloud

The legal framework imposes surveillance and control over data handling, acting as the legal foundation for the security cloud standards.

Law	Chinese Name	Year	Implication for Cloud Providers and Data
Cybersecurity Law (CSL)	网络安全法 (Wǎngluò Ānquán Fǎ)	2017	Data Localization: Mandates that cloud providers operating as Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) must store data within China's borders.
Data Security Law (DSL)	数据安全法 (Shùjù Ānquán Fǎ)	2021	Data Classification and Export: Imposes severe restrictions on the cross-border transfer of data classified as critical or important to national security.
Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL)	个人信息保护法 (Gèrén Xìnxī Bǎohù Fǎ)	2021	State Approval for Export: Requires state approval for transferring large volumes of personal data abroad, often through mandatory security inspections.
National Intelligence Law (NIL)	国家情报法 (Guójiā Qíngbào Fǎ)	2017	Mandatory Cooperation: The most controversial law. It legally compels all Chinese organizations and citizens—including cloud providers and their employees—to "support, assist, and cooperate with national intelligence efforts" when requested.

V. Geopolitics and Vulnerabilities: The US-China Clash

China’s standardization strategy is a direct response to the technological offensive from the US, placing it at the heart of systemic competition.

1. The Critical Dependency on Advanced Semiconductors (芯片)

China's Achilles' heel remains the fundamental hardware: advanced chips.

• AI Needs: The Intelligent Computing Cloud requires the most powerful GPUs (Graphic Processing Units) for training large-scale AI models.

• US Restrictions and Chokepoints: The US has imposed severe export controls on high-end AI chips and production tools. This hinders China’s ability to build the Intelligent Cloud at its desired pace. The production of the most advanced chips relies on machinery (EUV tools) and processes dominated by US companies and allies (like ASML in the Netherlands).

• Structural Weakness: Despite massive investment (the Big Fund - 大基金), China cannot yet achieve mass, autonomous production of the most advanced chips, making its standardization drive an effort to optimize and unify the resources it can acquire.

2. The Geopolitical Risk of Taiwan (台湾)

The stability of the Chinese cloud ecosystem is inextricably linked to the geopolitical situation surrounding Taiwan.

• The Global Supplier: Taiwan, through TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), dominates global production of the most advanced semiconductors.

• Political Consequence: Any military conflict or forced political unification would instantly halt the chip supply, triggering global sanctions that would paralyze China's AI and cloud industries. The standardisation is, in part, an effort to create domestic resilience against this catastrophic political risk, although the underlying dependency remains.

3. The Barrier of Trust and Digital Sovereignty

• Incompatibility with Western Laws: The Chinese cloud model, built on mandatory data surveillance and cooperation with the state (enforced by the NIL and CSL), is structurally incompatible with Western privacy laws like the European Union's GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).

• Limiting Global Expansion: This incompatibility creates a major barrier of trust, forcing Western governments and multinational corporations to avoid Chinese cloud providers for critical data, thereby limiting the global expansion of companies like Alibaba and Huawei to countries primarily within the Digital Silk Road sphere of influence.