China inaugurated the World Data Organisation in Beijing, signaling a growing influence on global data governance. Beijing has been developing a distinct strategy to manage data and drive AI development, reshaping technological competition and potentially leading to a 'Chinese time' for data policies.

At the end of March, China inaugurated the World Data Organisation in Beijing, a body with a stated mission of “bridging the data divide, unlocking data’s value and powering the digital economy”. The move is the latest signal of a broader trend: over the past several years, Beijing has developed a distinct data governance strategy to drive artificial intelligence (AI) development as it reshapes the terms of technological competition. Since late 2025, Beijing has pursued an aggressive AI adoption...