One of the most important questions raised in discussions in Western circles recently is: 'How is China seeking to reach international polarity and secure a seat for itself at the table of the big decision-makers, in a world where the old rules no longer dominate, but rather the techno-oligarchic elite is now steering the course of events?' The story of China's rise seems traditional, as with other empires throughout history, starting from an internal awakening and mobilizing efforts to build the state after a long slumber, then reaching a stage of self-sufficiency, and later profits grow amid internal abundance, prompting the state to seek beyond its geographical borders for broader economic goals and interests.

Later comes a stage where the state feels a need to protect its entity beyond its regional borders, hence it focuses on enhancing its military capabilities. A quick look at the Chinese military parade that took place last September confirms that the Chinese army, which will celebrate its 99th anniversary on August 1st of next year, has become a formidable force on the map of international influence. Moreover, according to a wide range of observers, China has been working hard in recent years to expand its nuclear arsenal and reach a thousand missiles armed with nuclear warheads, a number that is four or five times smaller than what Russia and the United States each possess individually, but in the end, no one is able or willing to confront and challenge this amount of nuclear winter carried by air, land, and sea.

At the same time, China has not stopped developing its fleet, which has reached about 770 ships, surpassing the U.S. naval fleet. Even if U.S. technology is superior today, China may have found Aladdin's lamp that guarantees it a path to at least participate in global hegemony and secure a permanent seat among the big powers. What about this?

In a nutshell, it can be said that the rapid developments China has witnessed in the world of artificial intelligence have become an influential and effective factor to the utmost degree in shaping the features of the global landscape, in a way that no one expected two decades ago. The narrator says this will have broad and profound repercussions on global geopolitical conditions and will leave deep imprints on the tectonic structure of many nation-states around the world.

Perhaps the most prevalent question in the West is: 'Will China's conquests in the world of artificial intelligence lead to a broadening of internal governance, and to put it more frankly without any evasion, can artificial intelligence, as a global trend that came from the West, open the way to democratic paths and reshape the courses of freedom in the land of 1.25 billion people?'

Here, the answer seems worrying to many traditional Western circles, and perhaps Eastern ones, especially Japan. It is no longer a secret that China has developed highly advanced surveillance systems based on artificial intelligence, using facial recognition, crime prediction, and biometric data tracking to monitor its citizens.

Critics of China say that it now has what is known as the 'Great Firewall,' a censorship mechanism supported by artificial intelligence that controls the flow of information and the formation of public opinion, and strengthens the authority of the Chinese Communist Party. At the same time, it conducts disinformation campaigns with local narratives and influences international media, pushing messages supportive of Beijing while suppressing opposing views.

How accurate is this narrative?

It is certain that China denies this, considering it traditional Western, and especially American, allegations aimed at splitting Chinese unity internally, and using the same AI tools in an attempt to incite revolutions and upheavals that destroy the state structure, seeking to penetrate the Chinese armed forces, and moreover working to slow down economic growth, which led to a Chinese miracle that leaves everyone astonished and incredulous at the shift in international power balances. We are thus faced with two contradictory narratives, as usual in times of bipolar conflicts, but whatever the case, it has become very certain that the features and contours of the coming new world will be drawn by electronic minds and automated robots more than by human soldiers on battlefields.

China's strategy today seems to be moving towards integrating artificial intelligence into all aspects of the state, and the presence of these AIs has become very clear in military, economic, and geopolitical fields.

Take the Chinese army, which grows stronger day by day, it is rapidly developing autonomous warfare systems supported by these AIs, along with electronic warfare capabilities and intelligence analysis tools, making China a key player in the dynamics of contemporary conflicts. However, there is another story linking China's global presence and artificial intelligence, making Beijing an advanced center for controlling one of the pillars of human life, namely the global pharmaceutical industry, and consequently supply chains. China has emerged as an indispensable player in global pharmaceutical innovation, from basic research to clinical trials, China has become a vital driver of innovation worldwide.

In recent years, Chinese companies have significantly expanded their presence in global licensing agreements. For example, the average initial value of licensing agreements between global pharmaceutical companies and innovative Chinese companies has risen substantially, reflecting growing international confidence in the quality and speed of Chinese R&D. Was China, then, in dire need of the Great AI Firewall?

Perhaps one of life's ironies is to find that the same Confucian Chinese mentality has been dominant and active throughout the ages, clearly manifested in the infrastructure of the Chinese state since ancient times. It was this mentality that led the Chinese to build the Great Wall of China during the Warring States period between 475 and 221 BC, and its construction and development continued through successive ruling dynasties over 2,000 years.

Today, China is building a new wall, historically caught between two walls: the first found its way to traditional building materials, while the other derives its superior capabilities from the tools of the modern age, namely the terrifying trio: artificial intelligences, microchips, and quantum computing.

But the definite difference between the two walls is that the Great Firewall enhances its integration into the new world order, while the Great Wall aimed to isolate it from its surroundings. Today, AI enhances China's ability to penetrate international organizations and accelerates its capacity to shape laws on cybersecurity, trade, and global governance.

Does the Chinese firewall mean that we are facing different global battles?