As U.S. pushes back on data centers, China races to build them

在美国对数据中心建设加以抵制之际，中国正加紧建设数据中心

As opposition against data centers mounts in the United States, that's not exactly what's happening in China. The country is beefing up its data center construction across Inner Mongolia and leaning into its manufacturing edge to catch up to the U.S. on AI. NBC News' Janis Mackey Frayer reports.

随着美国国内反对建设数据中心的呼声日益高涨，中国的情况则截然不同。中国正在内蒙古各地加快数据中心布局，并依托自身制造业优势，在人工智能领域追赶美国。

美国哥伦比亚广播公司（CBS）的记者Janis Mackey近日走访中国内蒙古自治区乌兰察布市发现，当地正在兴建大型数据中心集群，能源供应、土地和劳动力成本优势正成为中国发展人工智能产业的重要支撑。

这项工程规模庞大，占地面积相当于一座美国小城市，是中国目前规模最大、发展速度最快的基础设施项目之一。数以万计的工人从中国各地来到当地参与建设。报道称，仅内蒙古就有数十座数据中心正在施工，乌兰察布因能源充足、土地和劳动力成本较低，以及气候寒冷、便于降低冷却成本而受到企业青睐。

当地居民对建设项目的态度与美国部分社区形成对比。一名在当地生活40多年的农民表示，数据中心建设没有影响自己的农田，反而有利于地区发展。当地商户也认为，大型工程为年轻人提供了就业机会。

中国的发电能力超过美国两倍。一名中国全球化智库负责人表示，未来决定竞争优势的未必只是芯片，电力供应也可能成为关键瓶颈，而中国目前在这一方面具备优势。

以下是各国网友的评论：

Serenity-p6c
China typically does not build massive data centers right next to people’s houses. They build them in remote and desert regions.

中国通常不会把大型数据中心紧挨着建设在居民住宅附近，而是建在偏远区域和沙漠地带。

 

kamsunleong6648
Plenty of solar power and cooler climate

中国那边的太阳能资源丰富啊，气温更低啊。

 

highlighter609
China deliberately builds them in the desert so you won't notice them, the US deliberately builds them right in your face

中国特意把数据中心建在沙漠，避开人群；美国却偏偏把数据中心修在老百姓的家门口。

 

JohnDaultrey-w7v
yes but imagin how many usa is bulding in dessert. U have been duped, u can look it up

话是这么说，但你想想美国在沙漠里也建了不少，你被误导了，可以自己去查查。

 

zohaibammar85
China is definitely building data centers in remote areas, but it's worth mentioning that a 2025 study found around 65% of China's data centers were still in eastern provinces. So the idea that China builds them in deserts while the US builds them next to homes isn't really the full picture

中国确实会在偏远地区建设数据中心，但有一点要说明：2025年一项研究显示，中国大约65%的数据中心仍然分布在东部省份。所以“中国都建在沙漠、美国全建在居民区旁”这个说法并不准确， 这是以偏概全。

highlighter609
@zohaibammar85 Even in eastern provinces, they are concentrated in the north east where it is freezing cold and far from large populations. You will hardly find data centers in population centers right next to people's homes

就算是中国的东部省份，数据中心也大多集中在东北，那里气候寒冷，远离人口密集区。你很难在市中心居民区边上看到数据中心。

deepseer
@zohaibammar85 Building a data center at least one kilometer from residential areas can eliminate opposition. The drawback is that an additional kilometer of road and power lines must be built. Why don't they build data centers like that in the US?

把数据中心建在离居民区至少一公里外，就能减少民众反对。缺点就是要多修一公里的道路和输电线路。美国为什么不这么建？

 

Nmin34
Because they build apartments everywhere they can and people use them as bank accounts to park money. You can't just compare how China works directly with America. Also this report isn't a comprehensive list. You're just making assumptions that all their data centers are in deserts, which doesn't make sense as they need significant infrastructure and resources.

美国到处都盖公寓，很多人拿房子当资产。中美两国的模式不能直接拿来对比。不要默认中国所有数据中心都在沙漠，数据中心本身就需要配套大量基础设施和资源。

 

user-gw9yx2wx5g
China build in areas that doesn't bother the population

中国选址会避开居民区，免得打扰到民众

 

zohaibammar85
Some projects are intentionally built away from populated areas, which makes sense. But China still has a lot of data centers in its developed eastern regions. I think it's more accurate to say they're expanding into remote areas, not that they only build there.

部分项目会特意远离人口区，这个做法很好理解。但中国发达的东部地区依旧有很多数据中心。更准确的说法是，中国正在向偏远地区拓展，而不是只在偏远地区建设。

 

mylife70777
Atleast chinese builds it in desert not in populated area's

至少中国把数据中心建在沙漠，而不是人口密集区。

 

Wong-Jack-Man
The analogy is look at how cities and suburbs are built in the us vs Europe and Asia. Completely different city planning.

可以对比一下美国、欧洲和亚洲的城市和郊区建设方式，城市规划思路完全不一样。

 

jackielondon5709
Actually I don't really get why the US is not doing the same thing, it's just a matter of upgrading the grid.

说实话我不太明白美国为什么不照搬这套方案，无非就是升级电网而已。

BoostHubp4o
@jackielondon5709 It's quite simple. The US can't deploy its power infrastructure in the desert; it would be a huge investment. China, on the other hand, installed wind and solar power in the desert a decade ago. Insufficient power supply in the US would affect people's lives and cause significant heat and noise pollution in data centers, making it impossible to build data centers in residential areas.

原因很简单。美国很难在沙漠铺开电力配套，投入成本太高。而中国早在十年前就已经在沙漠布局风电和光伏。美国电力供给跟不上，一方面会影响居民生活，另一方面数据中心会产生大量热量和噪音，所以没法放在居民区附近。

 

LLee0
China electricity is cheap. Data centers don't bother anyone.

中国电价便宜，而且他们把数据中心修建在比较偏远的地方，不会扰民。

 

KingOfNaraka
At least they don't build them next to residential areas and drive up people's electric bills.

至少他们不会把数据中心修在居民区旁边，抬高居民电费。

 

xXxF00TSLXTxXx404
US CAN put them in the desert see? China is doing exactly that...

美国其实也可以放到沙漠里，你看，中国就是这么做的。

 

Lokielan
Billionaires wont build the infrastructure to support it. China built miles of solar panels, and wind turbines in the desert for a decade now.

富豪们不愿意出钱配套基建。中国已经在沙漠铺设大片光伏板、搭建风电机组，持续十多年了。

 

wasabiattack
So US has roughly 50x more datacenters per capita compared to China, and they're wondering why US citizens are more outraged than Chinese citizens.

美国人均数据中心数量大约是中国的50倍，也难怪美国民众的抵触情绪更强。

 

manikkalore1630
Corporate media wants to shame people for caring about their physical and financial health.

资本媒体反倒想指责民众，不该关心自己的健康和开支。

 

xkaliani
oooo look! they’re out in the middle of nowhere, not NEIGHBORHOODS!!! using renewable energy not community water resources!!!!

快看！它们建在荒无人烟的地方，不是居民区！用的是可再生能源，不会消耗社区水源！

 

zohaibammar85
Remote locations and renewable energy are definitely advantages. But desert locations don't automatically mean zero water impact. Cooling systems still matter, and some of China's western regions have serious water scarcity issues too.

选址偏远、使用清洁能源确实是优势。但建在沙漠不等于完全不耗水，冷却系统依旧需要用水，中国西部部分地区本身缺水问题就很突出。

 

Blob-jx3fg
This sounds like we are rushing to build them before deciding what they'll be used for. 12 times more centers than China is insane.

听着感觉像是还没想好用途，就急着开工建设。美国的数据中心数量是中国的12倍，这太夸张了。

 

marktrinidad7650
Yea because Chinese data centers are built on a desert and in a closed loop system. They are interconnected by renewable energies miles away.

没错，中国的数据中心建在沙漠，采用闭环用水系统，由远处的可再生能源供电。

 

mrklopplfc7055
I mean it looks like they're building them in the middle of nowhere or an industrial area not right next to residential areas

我的意思是，它们大多建在荒地或者工业区，不会紧挨着居民区。

 

L.k.586
Why does the US refuse to cooperate with China? China has an inexhaustible supply of clean energy.

美国为什么不愿意和中国合作？中国有源源不断的清洁能源。

Lokielan
The need to feel superior, an ego needs to be fulfilled

我们美国人就是想维持优越感，满足自己的虚荣心。

 

johnnysins6851
Usa has more than 6000 data center chins has 400 what are you talking about

美国有6000多个数据中心，中国只有400个，你在说什么？

skeletronxxprime6277
You mean 40,000 what are talking about

你说错了吧，中国应该是有4万个数据中心吧，搞错了。

 

marcianoforst6311
Energy in china is 2x cheaper, also 3x cheaper to hire engineers and scientists. the gap is not that big

中国电价是美国的一半，工程师和科研人员薪资也只有美国三分之一。差距并没有想象中大。

 

TienyeeTien
It is desert and cold weather can help cool down the machines.the water is also regenerated

沙漠环境气温低，方便给设备降温，用水还可以循环利用。

 

bowerfrank
Why don't put those data centers in Alaska?

为什么不把数据中心建在阿拉斯加？

 

shiraishi1
Oh that's why trump was keen on Canada n green land

难怪特朗普一直盯着加拿大和格陵兰岛。

 

stanqin3201
China date centres doesn't push the power price higher for residents at all.

中国的数据中心完全不会抬高居民电价。

 

manikkalore1630
Look at that No homes to be found around. So you can build data centers in Non Residential Areas ?

你看，周边一户人家都没有。所以数据中心完全可以建在非居民区，对吧？

 

frenchsalute3170
Imagine a person bringing hundreds of cargo boxes into a subway car and then saying that those boxes are not people, so I’ll only pay for one person’s ticket. After doing this repeatedly, other passengers often can’t get on the train. The subway operator finds that its profits are declining, so it decides to raise fares for all passengers to maintain its profits.

打个比方：一个人推着几百个货箱上地铁，说箱子不是人，只买一张票。长此以往，其他乘客根本上不了车。地铁公司利润下滑，最后就只能涨所有人的票价来保本。

 

MrJaysmoke
Americans don't want data centers I just build them for other countries now

美国人不想要数据中心，那干脆建来给别的国家用。

 

donkeykong516
Data centers are going to drive electricity prices through the roof, don’t care about China…I need affordability here

数据中心会把电价炒得很高，我不在乎中国怎么样，我只希望本地电费能负担得起。

 

therealcali0031
China has the land and I'm sure they are way ahead of the game of protecting the environment

中国有充足土地，而且在环保这块，做得比我们好得多

 

Anil_Dikshit
China is making use of useless land(desert) !!!

中国是在利用原本难以开发的沙漠荒地！

 

BrunoDias1234
Why not build in the space data center instead? They don’t consume electricity down here, and they don’t take up any space

为什么不把数据中心建到太空？不用消耗地面电力，也不占用土地。

 

Tonenn-g6l
Just build them in the Grand Canyon or in remote Alaska or something ffs

直接建在大峡谷或者偏远的阿拉斯加不行吗。

 

sr.shalomcarmel1719
China, The Next AI Superpower

中国，你们是下一个人工智能超级大国啊。

 

katrinagarrett9612
China also has very inexpensive electricity costs.

中国的电价也很低哦。

 

wildo844
Difference with Chinese is they have built the infrastructure first to support it, also using renewables to keep the cost lower. Total opposite of US. Plus think about how many people are in the US compared to China.

中国的做法是先建好配套基建，再上项目，依靠清洁能源压低成本，和美国完全相反。另外也要对比两国人口规模。

 

Maxamander3008
It will resemble the ICBM races, the west will have smaller more compact and powerful options while the east will have more of them but they won’t hold anything close to parity.

这会像洲际导弹军备竞赛一样。西方的方案更小巧、性能更强；东方这边数量更多，但很难达到对等实力。

 

quincytransval3311
In the last 20 years, technology has advance in leaps and bounds. Wont the data center be obsolete in 2-3 years like every other computers? Why build so many all at once almost!

过去二十年技术更新飞快。数据中心会不会和普通电脑一样，两三年就淘汰？为什么要一次性大批量建设？

 

ZaahirGames
China has around 500 data centers for a population of 1.5 billion people. The US has by some counts over 5000 data centers for a population of about 350 million. Not only are we oversaturated with these monstrosities; the buildout has centered around ignoring quality of life for human beings. China isn’t even closing the gap much less “catching up”. This is basically a data center buildout propaganda piece

中国15亿人口，大概500个数据中心。美国3.5亿人口，统计出来有5000多个。美国的数据中心已经严重过剩，而且建设的时候完全不顾民众的感受。中国和美国的差距根本没缩小，谈不上“追赶”