China is moving faster to build a national integrated computing power network amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence, with market forces set to play a decisive role in the process, the National Development and Reform Commission said on Thursday.

Photo via China Daily

Speaking at a monthly news conference in Beijing, Li Chao, a spokesperson for the NDRC, said computing power has become a key productive force in the digital economy era, making the development of a national integrated computing power network essential for high-quality growth.

Li said market forces will play a decisive role in the development of the network, adding that the "NDRC will work with relevant departments to strengthen coordination and provide policy guidance".

By the end of March, the country's intelligent computing capacity had reached 1.882 million PFlops, 2.5 times the level recorded a year earlier, and is expected to sustain that rapid growth momentum, the commission said.