China’s President Xi Jinping Pledges Commitment to AI Development and Self-Reliance
In a significant pledge, China’s President Xi Jinping emphasized the need for self-reliance and self-strengthening in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) as reported by Reuters.
As China continues its pursuit of AI supremacy in competition with the US Speaking at a Politburo study session, Xi called for leveraging China’s “new whole national system” to accelerate AI development.
Xi stressed the importance of recognizing existing gaps and making concerted efforts to advance technological innovation, industrial development, and the deployment of AI-powered applications. He further indicated that China would provide policy support in areas like government procurement, intellectual property rights, and the cultivation of AI talent.
China’s AI Progress and Global Competitiveness
Some experts suggest that China has narrowed the AI development gap with the United States in recent years.
A notable example is DeepSeek a Chinese AI startup that garnered global attention in January when it launched an AI reasoning model. According to the company, the model was trained with less advanced chips, making it cheaper to develop than its Western counterparts.
This announcement challenged the notion that US sanctions were hindering China’s AI sector and demonstrated China’s growing influence in infrastructure software engineering.
Strengthening AI Research and Technology Development
Xi acknowledged the importance of continuing to strengthen basic research and focusing efforts on mastering core technologies, including high-end chips and foundational software. He emphasized the need for China to build an independent, controllable, and collaborative AI software and hardware system.
Xi said, "We must continue to strengthen basic research, concentrate our efforts on mastering core technologies such as high-end chips and basic software, and build an independent, controllable, and collaborative artificial intelligence basic software and hardware system.”
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Accelerating AI Regulations and Ensuring Safety
As AI continues to grow, Xi also called for the acceleration of AI regulations and laws. He highlighted the need to establish a "risk warning and emergency response system" to ensure that AI remains safe, reliable, and controllable. This reflects China’s push to establish comprehensive AI governance while maintaining control over AI development and applications.
According to Reuters, last year, Xi stated that AI should not be dominated by wealthy nations and emphasized the need for international governance and cooperation on AI. This aligns with China’s broader ambition to shape the global AI landscape while fostering international collaboration in the field.
