China Warns Against AI Rivalry as US Calls Grow for Safer Development

China has warned against turning artificial intelligence into another arena of confrontation, as tensions between Beijing and Washington over the future of AI continue to grow.

The warning came after several senior figures in the US technology industry raised concerns about the speed of AI development and the possibility that increasingly powerful systems could create serious risks for humanity. At the same time, US President Donald Trump has made it clear that maintaining America's lead over China in artificial intelligence remains a major priority.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday that discussions built around threats, confrontation and hostile competition could damage international efforts to establish effective rules for AI.

He called on countries to work together to develop artificial intelligence in an open and inclusive way, with the benefits shared broadly and the technology directed toward positive purposes.

China's position highlights the difficult balance between international cooperation on AI safety and the growing strategic competition between the world's two largest economies.

Experts believe reaching a formal agreement between Washington and Beijing on slowing AI development would be extremely difficult. Chang Jun Yan, an assistant professor at Singapore's S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said both countries regard advanced AI as an important national security issue. As a result, voluntarily slowing development could conflict with their strategic interests.

Artificial intelligence has increasingly become a central part of the broader US-China technology rivalry. Washington has introduced restrictions on China's access to advanced computer chips and other technologies used to build sophisticated AI systems. Despite those restrictions, Chinese companies have continued to make progress, helped by open-source AI models and strong government support.

The US is still widely considered to have an advantage in frontier AI, particularly because American companies have attracted enormous amounts of private investment. Chinese companies, meanwhile, face greater challenges in securing the hundreds of billions of dollars being invested in the American AI industry.

However, Beijing has also acknowledged that rapid AI development carries significant risks.

Chinese officials have emphasized the need to balance technological progress with security. Chen Yixin, China's state security minister, recently called for stronger laws, ethical standards and measures to prevent AI-related risks. He also warned that foreign intelligence agencies and other hostile forces could potentially exploit AI technologies.

Despite the rivalry, there are signs that both countries recognize the importance of discussing AI safety.

Kenton Thibaut of the Atlantic Council has argued that Washington and Beijing share some concerns about the risks associated with frontier AI. Cooperation could also provide China with valuable insight into how advanced AI systems are being used outside the country, potentially helping Chinese developers identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

China has already taken steps to increase its influence over international AI governance. In July, Beijing established the World AI Cooperation Organisation, aimed at promoting greater international coordination on artificial intelligence. Chinese President Xi Jinping has also advocated for a more open-source approach to AI, including during a recent BRICS summit in India.

The debate has become more urgent in the United States following warnings from former AI researchers about the potential consequences of continuing development at the current pace.

Jacob Coxson, a former Anthropic researcher, recently warned that there could be a serious risk to humanity if increasingly capable AI systems are developed without adequate safeguards.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has called for measures that would slow dangerous aspects of AI development while preventing China from gaining a decisive advantage. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has similarly argued that AI safety and alignment methods must advance quickly enough to keep pace with increasingly capable models. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has also said that the development of AI should not be controlled by only a small number of organizations.

Trump, however, has taken a more competitive approach. He has repeatedly emphasized the importance of ensuring that the US remains ahead of China in AI, arguing that leadership in the technology could have enormous economic and strategic consequences.

The issue could receive greater attention during upcoming discussions between Trump and Xi, with reports suggesting that AI may be included in talks between the two governments.

The stakes are particularly high because AI is no longer viewed simply as another emerging technology. It is increasingly considered a foundation for future economic growth, military capabilities and technological influence.

For Washington, a Chinese lead in advanced AI could therefore represent far more than losing a conventional technology race. It could mean surrendering an important part of the strategic infrastructure that will shape the next phase of global economic and technological development.

The challenge for both countries is finding a way to manage the risks of AI without allowing competition to make meaningful cooperation impossible.

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