China’s push to dominate emerging technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence and robotics is already well established. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life, Beijing is now focusing on another battleground: language. Chinese authorities are encouraging the use of standard Chinese terminology for artificial intelligence and related technologies instead of English words and phrases. The move is part of a broader effort to strengthen China’s “discourse power”, a term used by officials to describe the country’s ability to shape global narratives, technical standards and the language through which new technologies are understood and discussed. By promoting Chinese-language AI terminology, Beijing hopes to reduce reliance on English-centric tech vocabulary and increase its influence in the rapidly evolving AI ecosystem.
According to the South China Morning Post, China’s state media has raised concerns about the growing use of English AI terms such as “agent” and “LLM”, which stands for large language model.
A commentary published by the Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily argued that depending too heavily on foreign technology terms could create what it called “cognitive dependency”. It said this could weaken China’s ability to define important ideas in technology and have a stronger voice in global technology discussions.
The South China Morning Post reported that the latest push follows an official decision in March to use “ciyuan” as the standard Chinese translation for the AI term “token”.
The Chinese characters in the term relate to the ideas of words and basic elements. The move is an example of Beijing’s effort to develop Chinese terminology for fast-growing technologies.
People’s Daily argued that using foreign jargon could make it harder for China to develop its own theories and a distinct way of discussing new technology.
The newspaper also said many English AI terms are not easy for ordinary Chinese people to understand. It pointed to an older example, “dian nao”, meaning “electric brain”, which is the Chinese term for computer.
The South China Morning Post said the commentary did not call for a complete ban on English technology terms. Instead, it suggested a dual approach, with standard Chinese terminology used alongside English where necessary.
The debate comes as AI becomes increasingly important in China’s technology sector and everyday life. Chinese companies are developing their own AI models and services, while the government is seeking a stronger role for China in setting international technology standards.
For Beijing, the issue is therefore about more than language. Controlling how new technology is named and explained could also help China build its own influence over the global conversation about AI.
