‘Two sessions’ 2024: China’s top advisory body told AI gap with US is widening
- Head of major state-owned chip maker says his firm has ‘long way’ to go to catch up with American AI companies
- Amid US tech curbs, CPPCC members told China will fall further behind if no decisive measures are taken
During a sideline meeting on Tuesday in Beijing at the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) – the country’s top political advisory body – Zeng Yi, a delegate who heads the Shenzhen-based China Electronics Corporation, said his firm has a “long way” to go to catch up with the United States.
“Objectively speaking, despite the great efforts we have been making, our difference [with the US] is still huge,” Zeng told the gathering of a few dozen representatives of the science and technology community.
At the annual “two sessions” meetings, Beijing has continued to highlight self-reliance in science and technology as the key to transforming the Chinese economy at a time when development is under pressure from increasing US technology curbs. But Zeng, who said the work his company is doing is “at the forefront of China-US science and technology competition”, said the country is still falling behind.
“In a certain sense, as new developments in AI emerge exponentially, if no decisive and groundbreaking measures are taken, we are at risk of seeing an even wider gap,” he said.
“Problems in the development of information technology cannot be solved by creating applicable scenarios, nor through breakthroughs in specific technologies … it is not even a problem about talent and basic research,” Zeng said.
“It is about many things from all aspects, we are all very anxious.”