China Criticises US Over 'Malicious Competition' in AI Governance

China has hit out against what it has called "threat narratives" over AI governance and warned against "engaging in confrontation and malicious competition". The criticism comes after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's calls for a slowdown in AI development. Which some industry insiders say could prevent China from pulling ahead in the AI race.

Past Week Industry Insiders Leading

Over the past week, industry insiders at leading US AI labs have been warning in extremely stark terms about the potential threat AI poses, with some saying it could wipe out humanity. But US President Donald Trump has shared his priority is making sure the US develops the tech faster than China.

Narratives of threat, confrontation, and malicious competition serve only to disrupt the process of global AI governance and are not in anyone's interest said Guo Jiakun, China's foreign ministry spokesperson. "All parties should work together to advance AI in a manner that is open, inclusive, beneficial to all, and oriented toward the good,".

His Comments Highlight Difficulties Getting

His comments highlight the difficulties in getting agreement between the world's two leading AI powers. An agreement between the US and China to regulate AI development is "next to impossible", says Chang Jun Yan, an assistant professor with the military studies programme at Singapore's S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

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AI now sits at the heart of the US-China rivalry as the world's two largest economies seek to gain an edge in advanced tech. Despite US export bans on critical chips, Chinese AI innovation has been expanding, driven.

"balance development and security" said Chen Yixin, a senior official at the National Intelligence Agency. "safeguard the interests of the people and national security" He warned of the dangers of "hostile forces" such as foreign intelligence using AI.

"There are strong signals that Washington and Beijing share an understanding of frontier risks," said Kenton Thibaut, a senior resident China fellow at the Atlantic Council. China has "technical reasons" to work with the US, she argues, because its developers would be able to see how their models are deployed outside China.

In July, China set up the World AI Cooperation Organisation, which aims to shape global AI governance. And speaking at the Brics summit in India on Sunday, Xi Jinping proposed creating a community for open-source AI.

"We need ways to ensure that alignment and safety techniques stay ahead of progress in model capabilities," said Sam Altman, CEO of Open AI. "There is a strong chance that we could all die in the immediate future" if the current pace of development continued.

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"because whoever wins AI, wins" Trump said. The competition is fierce, and as Trump prepares to host Xi at the White House next week, the two sides are trying to include AI on the agenda.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng before next week's summit. The talks aim to address concerns about China's growing AI capabilities and potential security risks.

"If China establishes a durable lead in frontier AI, this will not be viewed in Washington as losing a technology race," said Chasen Nevett, managing director at Hong Kong-based firm Forani Investments. "It will be viewed as losing part of the strategic infrastructure of the next industrial era."