On 11 November 2023, H.E. Ambassador Zheng Zeguang published an article titled “We will work with global community on AI” in The Times in the UK. Ambassador Zheng noted that China is making great effort for the research and development of AI as well as its application and actively participates in the discussion about and the development of global AI governance. President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Initiative for AI Governance at the opening ceremony of the Third Belt and Road Forum For International Cooperation, outlining China’s aim to implement 11 proposals around the development, security and governance of AI. Countries should develop people-centered AI in an industry with strict risk controls, which is fairly governed. China is ready to work with the international community in order to see this future come to fruition. The full text is as follows:
We will work with global community on AI
Bletchley Park last week swarmed with delegates hungry to talk about the future. More specifically, what role artificial intelligence has to play in that future.
At the UK’s AI Safety Summit, leading players in the field took the opportunity to proffer their position on where AI was headed and what needs to happen next. Among these was China. As an advanced AI power, we see it as time to outline our own vision.
Our AI industry is developing rapidly and has become a new engine for the country’s economic growth. In 2022, the number of AI companies in China exceeded 4,300. The value of the industry was higher than 500 billion yuan (roughly £56 billion).
More than 2,500 digital workshops and smart factories are now up and running. The development of AI infrastructure has accelerated, and major projects, including the one to channel more computing resources from the eastern areas to the less developed western regions of China, are proceeding apace. More than three million 5G base stations have been installed in the country.
As part of the country’s drive to build a modern industrial system, we have a large and increasingly urgent demand for the deep integration of AI into industry. This also provides a broad canvas for its innovation and uses.
As such, the Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of this new technology and views it as a crucial means to boost productivity and improve people’s well-being. To this end, it has released the Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Plan, and increased investment into the research and development of AI as well as into how to apply it to various different scenarios.
The government is also clear-eyed, however, about the fact that AI is a double-edged sword, pushing the subject of governance high on China’s agenda.
On October 18 this year, President Xi Jinping put forward the Global AI Governance Initiative at the opening ceremony of the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Co-operation. This initiative comprises principles about how to govern the field and suggests ethical boundaries for the use of AI. This comes as we actively participate in the discussion about, and the development of, global rules.
The initiative outlines China’s aim to implement 11 proposals around the development, security and governance of the developing field. To take each in turn:
Development of AI
When it comes to development we first propose a people-oriented approach, so that AI always develops in a way that is beneficial to human civilisation.
Second, all players must respect the sovereignty of other countries and strictly abide by their laws when providing them with products and services.
The third principle of development is to create AI for good, and work together to prevent and fight the misuse of AI by nefarious actors, including terrorists. This warns that all countries, especially major countries, should adopt a prudent and responsible attitude to the research, development and deployment of AI in the military field.
The fourth principle is to uphold mutual respect, equality and benefit. This means we oppose operating along ideological lines or for exclusive groups to obstruct other countries from advancing AI.
Security of AI
The second key issue addressed by the global initiative is around the layers of security that should be put in place to make artificial intelligence safe.
First, we should promote the establishment of a risk-testing and assessment system, and build trustworthy AI technologies that can be reviewed, monitored, and traced.
Second, we need to gradually formulate and improve relevant laws, regulations and rules, and ensure personal privacy and data security.
Third, we should ensure fairness and non-discrimination regarding ethnicity, belief, nationality, and gender.
Governance of AI
Finally, the initiative addresses the question of how to regulate AI.
An ethical review and governance system must come first. Next, it is a case of gaining a consensus around how to govern AI internationally and actively develop technologies to help us do so.
Lastly, we want to increase the representation and voice of developing countries and support discussions within the United Nations about establishing an international AI governance institution.
Today, with the smart age approaching at an ever faster pace, there is a long way to go. Countries should aim to develop people-centered AI in an industry with strict risk controls, which is fairly governed. China is ready to work with the international community, including the UK, in order to see this future come to fruition.
