China’s World Brain: After 10 Years, China Launches a Giant 2,000 km AI Network, a World Record​

Technologies 16 December 2025 After a decade of buildout, China just flipped a switch that makes 2,000 kilometers feel like one room. If distance no longer slows computation, who gets left behind?

On December 3, 2025, China switched on a 2,000 km optical backbone that lets far-flung computing centers operate almost as one. Built under the Future Network Test Facility, it claims 98 percent of a single data center’s efficiency, pooling machines across cities into a unified engine. The payoff targets work where milliseconds matter, from training large AI models to telemedicine and the industrial internet. Project leads say it trims development cycles by months, with model iterations ticking by in about 16 seconds.

A decade in the making: China’s bold AI leap​

It’s official: China has reached a new technological milestone. After more than 10 years of development, the country has launched the world’s largest distributed AI computing network, stretching an impressive 2,000km. Connected through a high-speed optical network, this system is engineered to perform nearly like a single massive data center. The implications are profound.

Seamless collaboration across centers​

Efficiency drives the project’s core design. The network operates at an astounding 98% of the operational capability of a centralized facility. Distant computing centers now coordinate and compute as if co-located under one roof. By spanning vast geography without sacrificing performance, China is redefining how AI infrastructure can transcend physical limits.

New possibilities for AI and beyond​

This breakthrough goes far beyond metrics. From high-stakes AI model training to precision-focused telemedicine, practical gains are emerging. For example, large AI model training cycles that once took months are sharply reduced thanks to higher throughput and tight synchronization. The industrial internet stands to benefit as well, enabling faster coordination and smarter decision-making across manufacturing, logistics, and more.

The Future Network Test Facility (FNTF): A national cornerstone​

Known as the Future Network Test Facility (FNTF), this initiative is China’s first major nationally supported program in the information and communication technology arena. Officially launched on December 3, 2025, the FNTF represents a decade-long push to secure leadership in advanced AI-enabled systems. Its deterministic data-flow backbone reinforces reliability and precision at scale.

World-class visionaries behind the innovation​

Liu Yunjie, Chief Director of the project and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, outlined the magnitude of this shift. He highlighted how the network can compress time and costs in AI development while opening fresh technological frontiers. With each model iteration taking as little as 16 seconds, the cadence of progress is set to quicken dramatically.

The global impact is already visible. A network of this scale not only cements China’s role as a technology leader but also compels others to rethink what distributed computing can achieve for AI. Connections once separated by 2,000km now operate as if side by side.