La Jornada: Beijing urges Washington to stop “slanders about Chinese AI companies”

Beijing. China yesterday urged the United States to stop smearing Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) companies and threatening them with sanctions, pointing out that such actions lack factual and legal basis and constitute a typical form of hegemony in the field of AI.

A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce made the remarks while commenting on media reports that some senior US officials had publicly called for investigations into Chinese AI companies for allegedly “distilling” advanced US models, which could lead to sanctions on grounds such as alleged “theft of US intellectual property.”

China has consistently opposed the US practice of politicizing and instrumentalizing issues of science, technology, economy and trade, as well as defamation and sanctions against Chinese companies under all kinds of unfounded pretexts, the spokesperson reiterated.

The United States has ignored facts such as that the release dates of the AI ​​models developed by the Chinese companies in question are very close to those of US designs and that some Chinese inventions have already reached cutting-edge capability levels, the spokesperson said. Innovation is not the exclusive domain of either party, the source added.

Chinese AI companies have long been deeply involved in basic research. They have attached equal importance to scientific and technological self-confidence and strength and openness and cooperation, upheld the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and promoted the rapid development of AI technologies. In doing so, they have advanced in a growing number of fields, including coding capabilities front-endstressed the spokesperson.

According to the spokesperson, many American AI companies are believed to have used Chinese models for distillation in the course of research, development and training.

It is notable, according to the spokesperson, that many members of the US business community have publicly opposed the country’s threats to sanction Chinese artificial intelligence companies. Nearly 200 American companies have urged the US government not to cut off access to Chinese open source models, arguing that doing so would weaken the competitiveness of American companies.

Some large US multinational corporations noted that model distillation is a widely used technique across the industry and that US companies should be allowed to use open source Chinese AI models, according to the spokesperson.

China urges the United States to pay attention to the objective and rational voices of the business communities of both countries, abandon its hegemonic mentality and stop slandering Chinese companies and threatening them with sanctions, the spokesperson stressed.

In this sense, he specified that China will take all necessary measures in response to any action that causes material damage to its interests and will resolutely safeguard its legitimate and legal rights and interests.

China hopes that the United States will seriously implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, work with China in the same direction, strengthen dialogue and communication on AI, jointly promote AI for positive impact and good, and advance and improve AI governance for the benefit of both countries and the rest of the world, the spokesperson concluded.