China needs to engage and cooperate more effectively with the Global South on AI governance to counter US moves to hobble its technological progress, according to analysts.
They also said that as the US retreated from its leadership role it could be “sidelined during a critical period” as the global norms and rules around artificial intelligence were shaped, while China continued to push forward conversations on governance.
Jiang Yuhao, a researcher with the Institute of Public Policy, an independent think tank under the South China University of Technology, said China could move beyond its great power rivalry with the US by pushing for innovation in cooperation with the Global South.
“By promoting collaborative creation and equitable sharing of advanced technologies, this approach would offer a more effective response to the US strategy of ‘small yard, high fence’ and supply chain decoupling,” he said.
Jiang said China should partner with the Global South to deliver inclusive AI infrastructure, promote tech sharing and fair data access, and co-develop ethical frameworks that addressed diverse regional concerns.
He said while American tech curbs on China might deepen problems in the semiconductor supply chain they could also spur more diverse global cooperation.
Jia Kai, an associate professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s School of International and Public Affairs, said the rise of open-source AI marked a fundamental shift in tech development – and the competition-first and zero-sum mindset no longer held.
He also said technological evolution in AI had entered a new phase of innovation and governance through application, and that the focus had shifted from frontier AI safety to practical application development.
“Real progress requires widespread adoption – especially involving the Global South – to build genuine consensus around real issues and truly make AI governance democratic and scientific,” he said.
As AI becomes a foundational technology that could reshape economies, societies and geopolitics, global efforts to establish shared rules and governance frameworks around it have intensified.
China has sought to position itself as a leader on AI governance, with an emphasis on making sure the global norms and frameworks align with the needs of small and emerging artificial intelligence powers. The World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2025 will be held in Shanghai from July 26 to 28.
Earlier this month, the leaders of the Brics group of emerging economies, including China, issued a joint statement on AI global governance, pledging to build a UN-centered system and stressing digital sovereignty and the right to development.
Jia said engaging the Global South on AI was not adversarial to either the Global North or large artificial intelligence companies like OpenAI. He said it would instead help to unlock the technology’s full potential by expanding its applications and through collaborative innovation.
According to Jiang, from the think tank, an excessive focus on competition caused governments to favor the dominant firms while neglecting the development needs of other innovative players – a dilemma he said the US was caught in.
He said China had embraced a “government-industry-academia” collaboration landscape but – driven by “intense competition” with the US and among domestic regions – it had also been concentrating resources on leading companies to achieve rapid breakthroughs.
“While this supporting-the-strong strategy may improve innovation efficiency in the short term, it suppresses the innovation needs of SMEs, social organizations and diverse actors, hindering China’s ability to pursue diverse pathways for international tech and industrial cooperation,” he said.
Cole McFaul, a senior research analyst at Georgetown’s Centre for Security and Emerging Technology, said China would “continue its concerted outward engagement in global AI governance conversations as the US retreats, and the US risks being sidelined during a critical period for shaping the global norms and rules around AI”.
He said that on AI governance, the Donald Trump administration held “a deep skepticism” of multilateral initiatives and Washington’s traditional alliance networks and partnerships.
“They are very reluctant to commit to binding agreements internationally and I think what we’re going to see is just pushing harder in promoting AI innovation,” he said.
Scott Singer, a visiting scholar in the Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said there was a “growing global conversation around how to govern AI right now, and the US is undoubtedly stepping back from its leadership role”.
“That’s an inevitable consequence of both the US’ current domestic turn inward but also a complete gutting of the talent the US government had in its civil service that was building technically informed AI policy,” he said.
Singer said active Chinese efforts to support global capacity-building were in “stark contrast” to the withdrawal of US global development support following the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
According to McFaul, although the US was currently in a period of retreat or reassessment, it was likely to be short-lived. He said global conversations around AI governance were continuing, with strong US industry involvement, since companies were highly incentivized to remain influential in shaping the rules. (SCMP)
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