China Pushes AI-Driven National Cyber Defense at Jinan Summit

Top Chinese cyberspace regulators and technical experts gathered in Jinan on September 14, 2026, for the National Cybersecurity Week Technology Summit, calling for modernized, artificial intelligence-driven cyber defense architectures. Wang Jingtao, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, urged technical agencies to upgrade national defenses to achieve automated, network-wide responses against increasingly concealed and automated AI threats. The conference also featured academic and industry keynotes addressing AI supply chain risks and critical infrastructure protection.

As generative AI and automated penetration tools lower the barrier for complex cyberattacks, traditional manual defenses are no longer sufficient. Beijing's push for an AI-centered defense framework highlights how state actors are formalizing real-time, automated collective defense across domestic networks and critical infrastructure, shifting from reactive patching to coordinated algorithmic mitigation.

Chinese cyberspace authorities are stepping up efforts to integrate artificial intelligence directly into the country's national defensive posture. Speaking at the 2026 National Cybersecurity Week Technology Summit in Jinan on September 14, Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) Deputy Director Wang Jingtao warned that cyberattacks are becoming increasingly automated, intelligent, and concealed, fundamentally reshaping the global security landscape. According to an official summary released by the CAC, Wang stressed that the convergence of human, machine, and physical environments requires China to accelerate the modernization of an AI-driven national cybersecurity system. Central to this strategy is establishing an architecture capable of achieving what he described as 'single-point discovery, whole-network defense'—a coordinated posture where a threat identified on one node immediately prompts protective actions across the broader network. To balance technological growth with national security, Wang outlined four core priorities: advancing AI-centric defensive systems, lifting foundational AI capabilities and safeguards, establishing precise monitoring and security assessment mechanisms, and cultivating a stratified talent pipeline spanning basic research to elite technical leadership. Hosted at the Shandong International Convention and Exhibition Center, the summit drew more than 1,100 attendees, including government officials, enterprise leaders, and researchers. Jinan Party Secretary Liu Qiang highlighted the city's role as a multi-tier testing ground for data elements, industrial internet deployment, and artificial intelligence innovation, framing municipal digital infrastructure as a baseline for national network security. The event brought together high-level figures from academia, state-owned enterprises, and military institutions, including Jiang Meng, president of the Cyberspace Force Information Engineering University. Keynote addresses focused heavily on structural vulnerabilities: Wang Xiaoyun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tsinghua University professor, analyzed cryptography and AI security, while Zhongguancun Laboratory Chief Scientist Yun Xiaochun examined AI supply chain security risks. China Southern Power Grid General Manager Ji Mingbin shared operational practices on deploying AI to defend critical information infrastructure. In addition to technical panels, the Communist Youth League Central Committee presented findings from a national survey report on minors' internet use, underscoring Beijing's dual focus on critical infrastructure defense and domestic digital governance.