Use AI for global prosperity, not for dominance

While artificial intelligence is transforming global economies and societies, some nations want to weaponize this key technology for geopolitical dominance. In contrast, China's recent initiatives present a constructive alternative.

Late last month, the 2025 World AI Conference& High-level Meeting on Global AI Governance was held in Shanghai, where more than 300 purchase orders with a combined value of roughly 16.2 billion yuan ($2.24 billion) were finalized.

While addressing the event's opening ceremony, Premier Li Qiang emphasized the need for a collaborative approach to global AI governance to ensure that the technology is developed for the good of all. Accordingly, the Chinese government has proposed the establishment of a world AI cooperation organization as part of its efforts to bolster the open, inclusive and equitable development of AI and effective global governance of the technology.

In an article in the South China Morning Post, Professor Zeng Jinghan of the City University of Hong Kong wrote that "the High-level Meeting on Global AI Governance was not just symbolic". He contended that China's initiative stands in stark contrast to the path taken by other powers. The United States' strategy of maintaining technological supremacy over China reflects a confrontational approach that undermines genuine multilateral cooperation. Rather than advancing inclusive frameworks for responsible AI development, such zero-sum tactics risk fragmenting international standards and impeding collective progress on critical challenges.

Scott Singer, an expert on China's AI sector at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the Washington Post that "in China, there is definitely stronger government support for applications and a clear mandate from the central government to diffuse the technology through society". In contrast, the US has focused more on developing the most advanced AI models while "the application layer has been totally ignored", said Singer.

In fact, just days after the Shanghai event, China's State Council executive meeting on Thursday approved guidelines on implementing the "AI Plus" initiative, calling for vigorously advancing the large-scale commercial application of AI and boosting its accelerated popularization and deep integration across various fields of economic and social development.

In an interview with Economic Information Daily, Zhu Minghao, executive director of the high-end manufacturing research center at Beijing Jiaotong University, said that the deeper implementation of the "AI Plus" initiative will enable iterative upgrades in key AI technologies through diverse applications, further enhancing the global competitiveness of China's AI industry.

Other experts agree. Pan Helin, a member of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Expert Committee for Information and Communication Economy, told Chinanews.com that the initiative will foster the emergence of diverse AI-powered application scenarios and represents a big boon for China's AI industry.

Liu Gang, chief economist of the Chinese Institute of New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Strategies told Shanghai Securities News that AI is reshaping the fundamental logic of economic growth and that China's advantages in AI application scenarios and technological innovation will gradually translate into industrial competitiveness.

China has taken concrete steps for global AI governance in recent years. In 2023, the country launched the Global AI Governance Initiative to boost the open, fair and inclusive development and governance of AI technologies. The country further proposed the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All in 2024 to help bridge the global AI divide and foster inclusive and balanced global development. These efforts demonstrate China's dedication to creating a balanced and mutually beneficial global AI ecosystem.

Is AI to be a race for dominance or a platform for global progress? China has made its answer clear.