A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE EVOLUTIONARY PATH AND STRATEGIC STRUKTURE OF THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE POLICY SYSTEMS IN CHINA AND AZERBAIJAN

Abstract

Artificial intelligence has become a key technology for strategic competition and the modernization of social governance among countries, and it has promoted a new round of policy system reshaping. This paper takes China and Azerbaijan as research objects, systematically reviews the evolutionary paths and strategic structural characteristics of the two countries’ artificial intelligence policy systems, and conducts a cross-national comparative analysis based on public policy documents, industry data, and development plans. Since 2017, China has built a multi-level and systematic artificial intelligence policy system through top-level design, forming a full-chain layout from core technology research and development and industrial transformation to ethical governance. Azerbaijan launched a national artificial intelligence strategy in 2025, and its policy system remains at an early stage of construction, emphasizing basic capacity building and an international cooperation orientation. By comparing the similarities and differences between the two countries in terms of policy evolution logic, strategic goal setting, implementation mechanisms, and institutional capacity, this article reveals the inherent relationship between differences in development stages and governance logic, and puts forward theoretical suggestions for policy structure optimization and medium- and long-term coordinated layout. This article does not focus on specific local experiences, nor does it explore the effects of technology application in depth, but seeks to construct a comparative perspective on the evolution of macro-level policy systems, providing a theoretical basis and practical reference for understanding the AI policy construction paths of different countries.