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China faces pressure to focus on wages amid AI race
The article cites Stanford’s 2026 AI Index estimate of US$184 billion in Chinese government AI guidance funds deployed between 2000 and 2023, while arguing many households still lack sufficient income.
A commentary piece in SCMP Economy argues China’s policy focus should prioritize wages and household purchasing power rather than treating the AI race as an overriding national ambition.
The article frames US-China competition in artificial intelligence as central, pointing to President Donald Trump’s claim that “whoever wins with AI wins,” and says China has reasons to worry about becoming dependent on US advanced chips and AI technology amid Washington’s repeated restrictions on cutting-edge semiconductors.
It also notes that China has directed very large resources toward AI, citing a Stanford University estimate that Chinese government guidance funds deployed US$184 billion into AI-related companies between 2000 and 2023.
The author, writing from a non-technical perspective after working in a factory, questions whether that level of AI investment matches the country’s most urgent economic challenge, saying ordinary Chinese people still have too little money in their pockets.