China Offering "Turnkey" AI Packages to Developing Nations, US Needs Diplomatic Response
China has begun deploying comprehensive turnkey AI solutions to developing nations that bundle digital platforms, data centers, energy infrastructure, AI applications, and research capabilities into single packages, potentially giving Beijing significant technological influence across the Global South.
This strategic approach to AI diplomacy threatens to outpace American technological influence in key regions unless the United States develops a coordinated response, reports End of Miles.
China's Comprehensive AI Package Strategy
"Let's not be mistaken, the PRC is beginning to provide a turnkey solution that combines digital platforms, data centers, energy, AI applications, and research as a package," said Navin Girishankar, President of the Economic Security and Technology Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
"We should be at the forefront of that as well. "Navin Girishankar, CSIS
The security expert highlighted how Chinese initiatives are specifically targeting nations like Kenya and countries across South Asia with comprehensive AI infrastructure offers. These packages typically provide all necessary components for AI deployment — from physical computing resources to the software and technical expertise needed to operate them.
Such bundled approaches align perfectly with Beijing's broader Digital Silk Road initiative, which has already seen Chinese companies building telecommunications infrastructure across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
America's Tech Diplomacy Gap
The AI specialist argues that the United States urgently needs to develop "AI offers" specifically tailored to developing economies that can compete with Chinese packages. However, American capabilities are currently hampered by the lack of a coordinated diplomatic approach to technology.
"If we're going to lead the world on AI, we need to be out front on standards. We need to be out in front on building what is in effect like a long-term relationship, commercial relationship with countries around the world with US companies working together to actually make an AI offer." Girishankar
The CSIS researcher points to Senator Todd Young's proposal for dedicated technology diplomats as a critical step. These specialized diplomats would focus exclusively on building partnerships around emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, and advanced semiconductors.
"We have a foreign commercial service, we have folks in the State Department, we may need to retool this significantly," noted the technology policy expert, who previously served as a senior advisor to the Deputy Secretary of Commerce.
The Power of Local AI Ecosystems
Girishankar believes that America's AI diplomacy should leverage the country's proposed network of 31 designated technology hubs. These could be repurposed as "AI Innovation hubs" that co-locate energy sources, data centers, and application developers.
This distributed approach could create a more resilient AI ecosystem than China's centralized model, while still providing comprehensive solutions to international partners.
"All the benefits that we talked about from AI in the economy here would also be benefits for countries in their economies. You can imagine an AI offer to Kenya, an AI offer to South Asian countries that include all kinds of applications." Girishankar
The technology expert emphasized that America's AI leadership strategy cannot focus exclusively on domestic capabilities, but must include a robust international component if it hopes to prevent China from establishing dominant influence through its turnkey approach.
Based on CSIS's findings, a successful American counteroffensive would require coordination between multiple agencies, private sector technology leaders, and diplomatic efforts — a combination that demands significant policy shifts from the current approach which has primarily focused on domestic AI development and regulation.
