China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday rejected a call from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei for the U.S. to curb China’s artificial intelligence capabilities, framing the proposal as ‘fearmongering’ and a threat to global AI governance.
China condemns U.S. AI restrictions as ‘Cold War tactics’
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that ‘fearmongering, confrontation, and vicious competition will only disrupt the process of global AI governance which serves no one’s interest.’ The response came after Amodei published a lengthy essay on Saturday warning that a ‘Chinese lead in AI would pose grave danger for the United States and the world.’ He urged continued restrictions on the sale of advanced AI chips and chipmaking equipment to China to maintain U.S. dominance in the field.
China’s state-run Global Times dismissed Amodei’s essay as a ‘Cold War playbook’ targeting China, arguing it was a veiled attempt to ‘contain’ the country’s technological progress. The commerce ministry also accused the U.S. of pursuing a ‘monopoly of the AI industry,’ claiming that techniques like ‘distillation’—used by many AI companies—are being unfairly targeted.
U.S. tech leaders push for AI restraint while Trump prioritizes competition
Amodei’s essay, endorsed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, argued that simply investing in risk prevention is no longer sufficient. He suggested that the U.S. and China should hold talks to establish a ‘speed limit’ on AI development, drawing parallels to Cold War-era nuclear disarmament negotiations. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Amodei acknowledged the dilemma: ‘This is the toughest dilemma… It’s not about commercial competition; this is the geopolitical situation which is the hardest to deal with.’
U.S. President Donald Trump, however, has downplayed calls for a slowdown, emphasizing that the U.S. must maintain its lead over China. Speaking during a visit to Ireland on Sept. 13, Trump stated, ‘We’re leading China in AI. We’re the most sophisticated country in the world and, frankly, I want to keep it that way—because whoever wins AI, wins.’
Upcoming summit to address AI governance amid escalating tensions
The exchange follows reports that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to discuss AI governance, among other issues, at a meeting planned for Sept. 24. The summit comes as Chinese companies have developed powerful AI models that are often cheaper to use than U.S.-based alternatives, though many experts still consider the U.S. to be ahead in the field.
China has positioned itself as a leader in advocating for a global AI governance framework among Global South countries, while also promoting open-source AI models. Meanwhile, U.S. officials and tech leaders continue to debate whether restrictions on AI development are necessary to mitigate existential risks or whether such measures would cede ground to competitors like China.
The differing approaches highlight the challenges of international cooperation on AI, with both sides accusing the other of prioritizing geopolitical rivalry over safety.