China constructing massive cloud computing complex

In sheer scale, this project, first announced late last month, is nearly the size of the Pentagon, although in China's case it is spread over multiple buildings similar to an office park and -- from the rendering -- may include some residential areas. But it may be a uniquely Chinese approach that brings data centers and developers together.

These big projects, whether supercomputers or sprawling software development office parks, can garner a lot of attention. But China's overall level of IT spending, while growing rapidly, is only one-fifth that of the U.S.