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The Pacific Divide

China’s “AI+” Unmasked

The Contract That Shows How China Builds Consensus, Not Just Code

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Russ Wilcox
Sep 09, 2025
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In the basement archives of the Chongqing Economic and Information Technology Commission sits a routine procurement contract that might be the most revealing document about China's artificial intelligence ambitions. Not because of what it promises, but because of what it costs.

The contract, signed August 25, 2025, allocates 461,600 yuan ($63,000) for th…

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