China shifting massive AI data center complexes to rural provinces to tap surplus energy — ‘Eastern Data, Western Computing’ strategy has Chinese tech giants Huawei and Tencent building AI infrastructure Guizhou

Beijing has been encouraging its tech giants to build data centers across the country as the central government believes that computing power, especially in the age of AI, correlates to national power. Because of this, many Chinese companies like Huawei and Tencent have been actively building AI infrastructure in rural provinces, like Guizhou province, which is located more than 500 miles to the northwest of Shenzhen. According to Tech Xplore, dozens of these facilities have been constructed in the area in recent years, with more on the way.

Unlike the U.S., where data centers face increasingly tough opposition, these build-outs are seemingly approved with relative ease, and the people living around them apparently appreciate the changes that the data centers and related infrastructure brought to the area. “It used to be a barren mountain, but since the area has developed, transportation has become more convenient, trade has picked up, business opportunities have emerged,” one shopkeeper told the publication. Another local, Li Xixiu, praised the development of the main road as tech companies entered the area, saying that it “boosted the economy of the area,” and that there have been more local opportunities since then. “All the villagers in our neighborhood now find jobs nearby, unlike before, when they had to go to other places,” said Li. Still, it must be noted that Beijing places tight control on objections and protests, and that ordinary people cannot just object to policies set by the central government.