Skip to content
Tech News
← Back to articles

China pushes for AI safety as G7 summit wraps up without Beijing

read original more articles
Why This Matters

The article highlights China's push for global AI cooperation and safety, contrasting with the U.S. approach of restricting foreign access to AI models. This divergence underscores the ongoing geopolitical competition in AI development and governance, which could shape future international standards and influence global tech innovation. For consumers and the industry, these developments signal potential shifts in AI accessibility, regulation, and collaboration worldwide.

Key Takeaways

The U.S. and Chinese flags are seen on the day of a bilateral meeting between the U.S. and China, in Geneva, Switzerland, May 10, 2025.

BEIJING — Senior Chinese officials on Wednesday stressed Beijing's plans to share artificial intelligence globally and safely, the latest sign of how the U.S. and China are promoting different approaches to the tech.

"China is accelerating the establishment of a global AI cooperation organization, and welcomes all parties to join," Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, told reporters in Mandarin Chinese, according to a CNBC translation. He emphasized the tech should serve the needs of humans.

Wang was speaking at the release of China's global governance whitepaper, which criticized trade wars and emphasized support for the Global South. The category loosely refers to less developed economies, especially countries outside the U.S. and European orbits.

Wang's comments came as the U.S. ramps up efforts to restrict foreign access to leading, U.S.-developed AI models.

During a summit in France this week, the wealthy Group of Seven countries — the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan — discussed a plan to give "trusted partners" access to the U.S. AI models, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing three diplomatic sources. CNBC was unable to independently confirm the report and has reached out to the White House for comment.