Chinese state media have dismissed recent calls by prominent U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) executives to slow the development of advanced AI models, characterizing the appeals as a self-serving attempt to limit competition from China. The criticism comes amid escalating tensions between the two countries over leadership in AI technology.
An editorial published on September 14 in China Daily, a state-owned newspaper, argued that the calls for a developmental pause—issued by Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and SpaceX’s Elon Musk—were part of an effort to safeguard American dominance in the field. The editorial suggested that these demands, which include tighter restrictions on Chinese firms, represent a coordinated attempt to exclude China from global AI governance frameworks. “A global AI-safety framework that excludes China is not quite global,” the piece stated.
The discussion follows a shift in U.S. policy that has previously targeted hardware such as chips and manufacturing equipment but has now increasingly turned toward software restrictions after failing to slow China’s progress in producing competitive AI models.
Amodei, in particular, urged a slowdown in frontier AI development while calling for more stringent controls on China’s AI sector, citing concerns that China’s lead could pose “grave danger” to international security. Altman and Musk publicly supported his proposal.
In response, China’s Foreign Ministry rejected these viewpoints. Spokesman Guo Jiangkun criticized the U.S. executives’ statements as fearmongering that could hinder global AI governance and ultimately serve no one’s interests. The China Daily editorial reinforced this position, framing the calls for restraint as efforts to maintain U.S. technological superiority rather than genuine attempts to ensure safety.
Despite the criticism, Chinese authorities have also acknowledged technological risks associated with AI. On September 14, China released an updated AI safety governance framework aimed at addressing emerging challenges as the technology evolves. The document, issued by the Standardisation Administration of China under the supervision of the Cyberspace Administration of China, highlighted concerns about AI’s potential for “recursive self-improvement,” a concept also raised by Amodei in his extensive essay urging caution.
Market reaction to the development was notable, with shares in Chinese cybersecurity firms such as Shenzhen Sinovatio Technology and Topsec Technologies rising sharply on September 15 amid investor optimism about the government’s focus on AI regulation and security.
The debate over AI’s future is unfolding ahead of planned talks between U.S. and Chinese officials on the issue, scheduled just days before a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 24. China Daily’s editorial emphasized the importance of bilateral cooperation, stating that “China and the US should cooperate wherever neither can manage the consequences alone,” and expressed hope that forthcoming AI safety discussions and high-level exchanges could provide opportunities for practical engagement.