On October 4, 2026, People's Daily Online invited Li Yan, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Center for Global AI Innovative Governance (CGAIG) and Director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Cybersecurity at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), to discuss cooperation between China and the United States in the field of artificial intelligence, and published an article titled China–US Consensus on Artificial Intelligence Benefits Both Countries and the World.
The article argues that China–US dialogue on AI can not only help stabilize bilateral technological relations and manage technological risks but also generate significant global public benefits. Both countries should implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen mutual trust through regular dialogue, and stabilize expectations through institutionalized communication. It further advocates cooperation in risk management, exchanges of governance experience, alignment of technical standards, and capacity building, enabling both countries to contribute to the advancement of global AI governance.
The full article follows:
China–US Consensus on Artificial Intelligence Benefits Both Countries and the World
Li Yan
China and the United States have reached consensus on eight deliverables and understandings, including an agreement that “The two sides agree on the establishment of the China-U.S. AI Dialogue to exchange views on risks and benefits related to AI. The next exchange will occur in November 2026. China and the U.S. also agree to establish a bilateral communication channel for AI incidents.” This agreement lays a solid foundation for stabilizing expectations, managing risks, and expanding cooperation in bilateral science and technology relations.
While China has consistently maintained a position of openness and cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence, the United States has treated AI as a critical area of zero-sum strategic competition. According to the South China Morning Post, following a meeting with executives from several technology companies at the White House on September 29, US President Donald Trump told reporters that maintaining American leadership in AI was a top priority of his administration. He also signed a “morally binding” AI agreement with the executives. At the same time, Trump reiterated his determination to preserve US leadership in the field, framing the competition as a matter of “either winning or losing.”
The healthy, safe, and orderly development of artificial intelligence concerns the future of humanity and requires cooperation between China and the United States. Experience has demonstrated that AI development depends heavily on open innovation, while its safety risks frequently transcend national and sectoral boundaries. These characteristics determine that no country can independently resolve the challenges of technological development and security issues. The US technology industry has long been deeply integrated into global innovation networks. Confrontational strategies not only constrain its own opportunities for technological advancement but have also generated widespread concerns within Silicon Valley’s technology community and academic field over unrestrained competition, technological fragmentation, and disorderly governance. Meanwhile, global AI safety risks continue to emerge and proliferate. The misuse of technology, algorithmic bias, misinformation, and risks associated with autonomous weapons are becoming increasingly prominent. Neither regulation by individual countries nor coordination among a small group of states is sufficient to address these systemic and global governance challenges.
China’s vision of “extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefits” is consistent with the underlying dynamics of technological development and reflects the broader expectations of the international community, which has become an important force in encouraging major powers to adopt a more rational approach to AI development. China and the United States should build on their respective strengths rather than erect barriers against each other. China has consistently upheld the principles of a people-centered approach and the development of AI for the good of humanity, and took the initiative to put forward the Global Initiative for AI Governance. It has continued to promote the implementation of relevant United Nations resolutions on AI governance, and supported AI capacity building in developing countries. Through these efforts, China has sought to narrow the AI divide between the Global North and Global South and contribute a stable, equitable, and inclusive approach to global governance.
China–US dialogue on artificial intelligence is far more than a bilateral matter; it is a major undertaking with significant global public value. Global AI governance remains in a period of uncertainty, characterized by regulatory gaps, inconsistent standards, and insufficient institutional mechanisms. Technological innovation is advancing far more rapidly than governance systems can be developed, widening the global governance deficit. As the world’s two leading countries in AI development, innovation, and global influence, China and the United States possess substantial advantages in technological capacity, application scenarios, research talent, and industrial scale. Their governance choices, approaches to competition, and willingness to cooperate have a direct bearing on the future direction of the global AI order. If the two countries can maintain stable dialogue, manage risks, and engage constructively, they will bring greater certainty to global governance. Conversely, if their relationship descends into confrontation, technological fragmentation, and decoupling, the entire world will bear the consequences of governance disorder, the erosion of technological norms, and uncontrolled risks.
The consensus reached by the two heads of state has established an institutional framework and clarified channels for communication. Its future effectiveness will depend on implementation, concrete action, and sustained commitment. China has long adhered to principles of rationality, pragmatism, and good faith. It remains willing to advance cooperation in AI risk management, exchanges of governance experience, technical standards alignment, and capacity building on the basis of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit, seeking to promote stable and constructive science and technology relations between the two major powers through practical action. Whether the United States will demonstrate a similarly constructive commitment to implementing the consensus and ensuring the effective operation of the dialogue mechanism will be the most important variable determining the long-term stability of bilateral AI relations.
Competition in science and technology among major powers is inevitable, but such competition must have boundaries, rules, and fundamental principles. The way forward for China–US relations in artificial intelligence does not lie in confrontation, strategic rivalry, or the erection of technological barriers. Rather, it lies in managing differences, preventing miscalculations, fostering healthy competition, and pursuing pragmatic cooperation. At this critical juncture in the transformation of global governance, the international community looks to the two sides will work in the same direction, building trust through regular dialogue, stabilizing expectations through institutionalized communication, and replacing zero-sum competition with practical cooperation. By doing so, the two countries can jointly safeguard the responsible and beneficial development of artificial intelligence, make meaningful contributions to improving global AI governance, and fulfill their responsibilities as major powers in protecting humanity's shared technological future.
Original article: https://world.people.com.cn/n1/2026/1004/c1002-40809440.html
