Artificial intelligence (AI) is the new currency of global power, and China is amassing it at scale. In 2017, China declared its ambition to become the world's leading AI power by 2030 and has pumped in billions, spurring domestic innovation. Between the state and the private sector, the country is projected to spend nearly $100 billion (€85.76 billion) on AI in 2025 alone. So far this year, China has stunned the global tech community with the rise of DeepSeek, a startup whose large language