Week 7: China in Global AI Governance
IN THIS LESSON
The role of the PRC in global AI risk and progress
The People’s Republic of China is one of the two “AI Superpowers”, along with the U.S. This places China in a uniquely important position in what may prove humanity’s most transformative technological revolution. Understanding how China views its own place in global AI development and governance dynamics will help strategists and policymakers navigate the historic transformations unfolding. What’s more, understanding the incentives and dynamics of the US-China “AI Race” could help humanity manage its risks, improve global cooperation, and avoid the worst potential outcomes in pursuit of a more flourishing future.
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The Basics: Geopolitics of Artificial General Intelligence (50 minutes)
International AI Governance Context (Saad Siddiqui, 2025) (20 minutes)
Read Section A: AI risks and governance lenses
This document introduces some key concepts in the geopolitics of advanced AI. (It was originally created as an introductory material for research fellows studying US-China international agreements on advanced AI systems.)
The Artificial General Intelligence Race and International Security (RAND, 2025) (15 minutes)
Read Chapter 1: “Introduction”
This publication examines the dynamics of the AGI race and its potential implications for international security and stability.
International AI projects and differential AI development (Forethought, 2026) (15 minutes)
Argues that international AI governance proposals should be more surgical, focus on limiting the most-dangerous capabilities while trying to actively encourage the most-helpful capabilities. -
Beijing’s Vision of Global AI Governance (ChinaTalk, 2023) (10 minutes)
This resource provides an overview of China’s engagement with international governance of AI, including China’s Initiative for Global AI Governance.
"International Governance" in "State of AI Safety in China" (Concordia AI, 2025) (20 minutes)
Section: “International Governance” (pages 22-29)
Provides an overview of China’s approach to international AI governance. Offers concrete examples of initiatives and features of the country’s approach.
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A Prisoner’s Dilemma in the Race to Artificial General Intelligence (RAND, 2025) (5 minutes)
Analyzes the incentives for the US and China in their perceived AI race, which point towards a continued race despite the existential risks to both parties of developing advanced AI before sufficient safety measures.
I Went to China to See Their Progress on A.I. We Can’t Beat Them. (NYT, 2026) (7 minutes)
The author argues that the U.S. cannot effectively constrain China’s AI development, and should switch to a strategy of pursuing international agreements on AI controls and safety with China.
How Might the United States Engage with China on AI Security Without Diffusing Technology? (RAND, 2025) (10 minutes)
"Given the transnational risks posed by AI, the safety of AI systems, wherever they are developed and deployed, is of concern to the United States.” The authors claim that nontechnical cooperation and specific-risk-reducing technology sharing between the US and China could increase national/global safety without augmenting China's AI progress in a harmful way.
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OPTIONAL additional readings
(optional) Escaping an Anti-Human Future (Making Sense podcast) (10 minutes)
This interview section discusses the narrative of an AI Race between the US and China, in which both actors are incentivized to develop the technology faster than they invest in their ability to control it—and why in such a race, it may be that neither party wins.
(optional) Is China Racing to AGI? A Debate (ChinaTalk, 2025) (20 minutes)
A stylized debate about whether China is racing to develop AGI. This piece argues that despite China’s heavy investment in AI applications and renewed interest in AGI post-DeepSeek, there is little evidence of a coordinated, urgent government push to achieve AGI.
(optional) The Most Dangerous Fiction: The Rhetoric and Reality of the AI Race (CFI, 2025) (40 minutes)
This paper traces the emergence of the US-China ‘AI race’ narrative, and how it has been used to justify reduced regulatory oversight. “It examines the evidence for the specific claim that China is in a race with the USA to achieve artificial general intelligence and decisive strategic advantage. It offers recommendations for safeguarding stability and retaining prospects for international cooperation in a governance environment increasingly shaped by the impact of this narrative and rising geopolitical tension.”
