China Makes AI Token a New Export Field, Its Value Can Increase 22 Times

China sees a surge in AI tokens as a new economic opportunity. Amid the explosion of the artificial intelligence industry, the country is starting to turn electricity into computing power, then sell it to the global market in the form of AI services.

Head of the National Data Administration Liu Liehong was quoted as saying by China Daily, Wednesday, March 25, that daily consumption of tokens in China had exceeded 140 trillion by March. The figure is more than 1,000 times higher than the 100 billion at the beginning of 2024, and more than 40 percent higher than the 100 trillion at the end of last year.

China Daily reported that tokens are small data units used by AI models to read and generate text. According to Liu, the surge shows China's AI industry is growing rapidly, from basic conversational functions to more advanced systems to make decisions and carry out tasks.

Liu said this when announcing the 9th China Digital Summit, which will be held on April 29-30 in Fuzhou, Fujian. Around 400 companies, including China Southern Power Grid and Alibaba Group, will showcase their latest technologies and products.

The Chinese government has also set up a national system for data ownership registration, accelerated the establishment of a national data market, and strengthened data infrastructure. Within this framework, token exports are beginning to be seen as a new direction for China's digital economy.

The value is also much higher. If the crude electricity exported is only worth about 0.5 yuan or US$0.07 per kilowatt-hour, the same value can increase up to 22 times when converted into AI processing services.

Beijing Academy of Social Sciences researcher Wang Peng said this model opens up wider access for small businesses, independent developers, and users in emerging markets to use AI tools at a more affordable price.

Still from China Daily, according to Shi Yuxia of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, China's token advantage is not only in the price of electricity, but also in lower energy costs, improved AI capabilities, and strong supply chains.