What form will the U.S.-China artificial intelligence (AI) competition take? Will it ultimately create two separate AI worlds? How will China surpass the U.S. in this competition?
These questions were raised by a delegation from China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) during an AI seminar held on July 10 in Shenzhen, often referred to as China's Silicon Valley. The focus on future international order and U.S.-China strategic competition, rather than just economic policy, was particularly noteworthy.
China's NDRC Reassesses AI Strategy: 'Civilization Competition' with the U.S.
According to the latest issue of Hong Kong's Asia Weekly, the NDRC delegation has conducted a series of closed seminars in major AI hubs across China, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, discussing the dynamics of U.S.-China AI competition and response strategies. It is unusual for the NDRC, which oversees national economic policy, to directly engage in a nationwide review of AI strategy. Observers suggest this investigation will shape the future AI strategy of China's leadership and inform policies related to the 15th Five-Year Plan.
Asia Weekly noted, "AI has already emerged as a key agenda in the U.S.-China strategic competition," and assessed that the Chinese leadership's interest in AI is comparable to past focuses on nuclear weapons and satellite development, as well as reform and opening up. The ongoing war in Ukraine and changes in the Middle East have prompted China to view AI as a strategic asset that could influence geopolitical dynamics and future civilization order.
China does not see the AI competition as merely a technological power struggle. Asia Weekly stated, "Both the U.S. and China are mobilizing national capabilities for AI, which transcends the Cold War-era 'Star Wars' initiative and involves a competition over who will design the organizational framework of future human civilization and international order." Given that AI has the potential to reshape industries, government operations, education, military, and international norms, the outcome of this competition is expected to determine the future global order.
Xi Jinping's Speech at WAIC: Leading Open-Source AI Order
The urgency of the Chinese leadership regarding AI competition is evident in recent remarks by President Xi Jinping. At a national science and technology awards ceremony earlier this month, he stated, "The situation is urging and pushing us forward."
On July 17, Xi attended the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, marking the first time a top leader has participated since the event's inception in 2018. The South China Morning Post described this as a symbolic moment, indicating that AI development has become central to China's geopolitical strategy.
In his speech, Xi emphasized the need for countries to seize the historical opportunity presented by open-source AI technology and called for support to enhance AI capabilities in developing countries, warning against the emergence of new forms of historical inequality due to unequal access to AI technology.
Reuters characterized Xi's address as the clearest expression of China's intent to lead global AI governance, framing China's open-source AI as a global public good and presenting a Chinese alternative to the U.S.-centric AI order.
China's strategy of 'open-source, global governance, and Global South' stands in contrast to the U.S. approach. At a recent UN meeting on AI, the U.S. argued that excessive regulation should not stifle innovation, while China advocated for reducing the AI gap between nations and improving technology accessibility for developing countries.
China's AI Alliance: Countering the U.S. with Global South Leadership
In line with this vision, China officially launched the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) on July 16, with 29 member countries. Xi described this as a significant event in the history of global AI development, responding to calls for greater participation from developing countries in AI governance.
WAICO is seen as a Chinese-led AI cooperation platform involving countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, designed to counter the U.S.-dominated AI governance framework. As the U.S. seeks to lead AI norms and technology standards through its 'Pax Silica' supply chain alliance, China aims to establish its own international norms and cooperation framework centered on the Global South.
China is also accelerating its technological competition with the U.S. On July 17, Chinese AI startup Moonshot unveiled its new large language model (LLM), Kimi K3, targeting OpenAI and Anthropic. Industry analysts suggest that K3 has achieved performance levels competitive with top-tier U.S. AI models backed by substantial capital. Morgan Stanley noted that Kimi K3 exemplifies how Chinese LLMs are rapidly catching up to U.S. leaders in performance and cost competitiveness.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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