Chinese tech firms’ ‘snub’ to US Congress advisers highlights Beijing’s growing AI caution
The refusal to meet a visiting delegation during a recent fact-finding trip signals China’s new approach to tech diplomacy, observers say
China’s biggest technology companies gave a US congressional delegation the cold shoulder during a recent visit.
Analysts said this decision – which denied the visitors a rare insider’s view of one of the world’s fastest-moving artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystems – reflected Beijing’s increasingly selective approach to AI diplomacy.
It also highlights a paradox: while the two powers continue to pursue dialogue on AI safety, many of the channels that once helped them understand each other are steadily narrowing.
The fact-finding mission was intended to help shape the commission’s annual report to Congress, which provides lawmakers with an analysis of China’s military, economic and technological developments.
The delegates met Chinese government officials, think tank experts, diplomats and business representatives to discuss AI, advanced technology, biotechnology, economic security and regional issues.
However, as commission vice-chairman Mike Kuiken said after the trip: “We were not able to secure many of the meetings we sought, including with some of China’s leading technology companies, and that is itself a data point.”