China's AI journey offers insights

Expert says cooperation should extend beyond individual projects and target technology, expertise

ULANQAB:

At first glance, Ulanqab in north China's Inner Mongolia and Bahawalpur in southern Pakistan may appear worlds apart. Yet the two regions share a striking landscape of dry weather, vast open spaces and sandy terrain. Their development stories, however, are taking increasingly different directions: while Bahawalpur is exploring new opportunities in technology, higher education and innovation, Ulanqab has leveraged its geographic, climatic and energy advantages to become a growing hub for computing power and artificial intelligence.

A visit to Ulanqab's computing facilities shows how a region traditionally associated with energy and natural resources is becoming part of China's rapidly expanding digital infrastructure. The city has been integrated into China's national "East Data, West Computing" strategy, which channels computing resources towards western regions where land, energy and climatic conditions can support large-scale data centres.

For Pakistan, the transformation raises an important question: could regions with similar dryland environments develop new economic opportunities by connecting energy, education, technology and digital infrastructure?

According to Zhang Xiaoliang, who is associated with the Economic Bureau of Chahar High-tech Zone, Ulanqab possesses several advantages that make it suitable for data-centre development.

"Inner Mongolia has its own power grid," Zhang explained, noting that electricity availability and comparatively favourable power costs are important advantages for data centres, which require stable and large-scale energy supplies. He also highlighted Ulanqab's proximity to Beijing, its relatively cool climate and geological conditions as factors supporting the development of computing infrastructure.

The city's strategy is increasingly linking computing power with green energy. Centrin Data's Ulanqab computing-power cluster, located in the Chahar High-tech Development Zone, is part of the Inner Mongolia national computing hub. The company has planned several large data centres and is developing a source-grid-load-storage project combining wind, solar and energy storage.

The wider Inner Mongolia model is also increasingly associated with green computing. More than 85% of electricity used by regional data centres reportedly comes from clean energy, demonstrating how renewable power can be integrated with energy-intensive AI infrastructure.

But the lesson for Pakistan may not be about building identical data centres. Professor Dr Muhammad Kamran, Vice Chancellor of The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB), argues that the more important question is whether computing infrastructure can be connected with universities, research, industry, energy and human capital. "Computing capacity has to be tied to reliable energy, research institutions, universities, industry and people who actually know how to use it," Kamran said.

For Bahawalpur, this perspective is particularly relevant. IUB is expanding its focus on emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The university has introduced AI-related learning across disciplines and established an Artificial Intelligence Research and Advancement Lab. It has also launched an advanced Quantum Computing programme in 2026.

Kamran said the value of cooperation with China should extend beyond equipment or individual projects. International partnerships, in his view, can provide technology, expertise and exposure, but Pakistani universities ultimately need to develop their own research capacity, skilled graduates and stronger links with industry.

He stated that the comparison between Ulanqab and Bahawalpur does not mean Pakistan can simply reproduce Inner Mongolia's development model. The two regions have different energy systems, industrial structures and economic conditions. Instead, Ulanqab offers a case study on how natural advantages can be connected with infrastructure and economic demand. For Bahawalpur, the opportunity could therefore lie in connecting its universities, young population, research institutions and emerging technology capabilities with broader national and international digital networks.