China Responds to U.S. Call for AI Restrictions
Visitors at the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing viewed a display featuring artificial intelligence (AI) alongside a human hand on June 22, 2026. As this event took place, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted to a call from Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, who urged the U.S. to limit China’s AI capabilities. His statement appeared as a push for a global slowdown in AI development.
According to U.S. President Donald Trump, he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to discuss AI governance, among other issues, at a planned meeting on September 24. Amodei, in a comprehensive essay, warned that allowing China to lead in AI could pose significant risks to both the U.S. and the world. He advocated for ongoing restrictions on AI chips and chipmaking equipment sales to China to maintain the U.S.’s edge in AI.
China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry responded by emphasizing cooperation. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun stressed that fearmongering and confrontation would hinder global AI governance efforts.
President Trump, on Sunday, downplayed suggestions to slow AI development in the U.S., asserting that the U.S. leads China in AI and remarked that “whoever wins AI, wins.” Amodei predicted that AI “agents” could dominate the internet within six to 12 months unless researchers agreed to decelerate development. He highlighted the need for cooperation with China, given its advanced AI capabilities.
Summit Expected to Cover AI Governance
In the upcoming summit, President Trump and Xi Jinping are anticipated to discuss AI governance. Chinese companies have developed robust AI models that are often cheaper yet competitive with U.S. models. Xi has advocated for a global AI governance framework and positioned China as a leader in open-source AI community development. Additionally, the head of China’s Ministry of State Security suggested speeding up the establishment of an AI security risk management system.
China’s Accusations Against the U.S.
The Global Times, China’s state-run newspaper, criticized Amodei’s essay, labeling it as a covert attempt to “contain” China. The publication argued that the essay, though appearing to focus on global AI security, is essentially a “Cold War playbook” targeting China. Amodei’s work came days after U.S. agencies accused Chinese AI developers of “aggressive, malicious” activities involving U.S. AI models, including Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s GPT. China’s Commerce Ministry termed these accusations baseless and dismissed them by noting that ‘distillation’ is a common practice among AI firms worldwide.
Lizzi C. Lee from the Asia Society Policy Institute highlighted mutual concerns of both nations over technology domination. She noted that Beijing questions the U.S.’s intentions, given its dual approach of demanding cooperation on AI safety while restricting China’s access to advanced AI technology.