China Hits Back at Vance’s ‘Authoritarian AI’ Warning, Calls for Open Access to Technology- wna24

Beijing: China on Wednesday pushed back against US Vice President J.D. Vance’s warning to global leaders about engaging in artificial intelligence (AI) deals with “authoritarian regimes.” Beijing stated that it opposes restricting AI accessibility based on ideological differences and politicizing trade and technology matters.  

Speaking at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in France on Tuesday, Vance indirectly targeted China, cautioning that such AI partnerships could bind nations to an “authoritarian master.” In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun addressed a media briefing, stating, “We are against drawing lines along ideological differences, overstretching the concept of national security, or politicizing trade and tech issues.”  

Guo reiterated that China is committed to AI development and has repeatedly emphasized its efforts in advancing the technology. “We take the safety and security of AI seriously and support entrepreneurial innovation by Chinese companies. China is also an advocate of inclusive AI,” he said.  

Beijing has been promoting the idea that AI technologies should be open-source and widely accessible, Guo added.  

The summit was co-chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, with Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing attending as a Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping.  

Vance, in his speech, warned global leaders about AI partnerships with authoritarian governments, stating, “Partnering with them means chaining your nation to an authoritarian master that seeks to infiltrate, dig in, and seize your information infrastructure.” He also assured that a future Trump administration would “ensure that AI systems developed in America are free from ideological bias” and that the US would “never restrict our citizens’ right to free speech.”  

The US did not sign the joint statement issued after the summit.  

Last month, China criticized several countries, including India, for restricting officials from accessing the newly launched Chinese AI tool DeepSeek due to concerns over potential data leaks.  

Meanwhile, China’s Alibaba Group has entered into a partnership with US tech giant Apple to develop AI features for iPhones in China. According to the Hong Kong-based *South China Morning Post*, this move signals increasing recognition of Alibaba’s advancements in AI.  

Apple’s decision to collaborate with Alibaba stems from its confidence in the Chinese company’s Qwen AI model and its “cutting-edge” capabilities, the *Post*, which is owned by Alibaba founder Jack Ma, reported on Tuesday.  

The partnership comes as Apple seeks a local AI provider to help boost iPhone sales in China. The US company faces challenges in the world’s largest smartphone market, as its Apple Intelligence features remain unavailable to iPhone users in China, the report added.