China rejects malicious competition claims over AI

China has criticised what it called “threat narratives” around AI governance and warned against “engaging in confrontation and malicious competition.” Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said such framing disrupts global AI governance and urged countries to pursue AI development that is open, inclusive, broadly beneficial and oriented toward the good.

The remarks followed calls from Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei for a slowdown in AI development that would not allow China to pull ahead. Other US industry figures have issued stark warnings about AI risks, while US President Donald Trump has emphasised maintaining America’s lead over China, saying “whoever wins AI, wins.”

Experts said a US-China agreement to regulate AI development remains highly unlikely because the technology is tied to core national security interests. AI has become central to the rivalry between the world’s two largest economies, with Chinese firms expanding despite US chip export bans and struggling to match the hundreds of billions of dollars flowing into American AI companies.

Beijing has also acknowledged AI risks. State security minister Chen Yixin called for balancing development and security, improving laws and ethical guidelines, and guarding against hostile uses of AI. China has set up the World AI Cooperation Organisation, while Xi Jinping has proposed a community for open-source AI as both sides consider putting AI on the agenda for upcoming talks.