China US

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden agreed Wednesday to start China-US government talks on artificial intelligence (AI) and the two nations commit to working toward a significant further increase in scheduled passenger flights in early 2024.

They reached the agreement during a summit meeting held at Filoli Estate, a country house about 40 kilometers south of San Francisco, California, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Chinese observers welcome the important results reached at the summit, saying that increasing AI cooperation between the world's two largest economies is in the interest of the two countries, and also benefits global innovation. 

Meanwhile, the observers urged the US government to correct its reckless crackdown on China's high-tech companies, and instead work together with China to continuously promote mutual trust and strengthen practical cooperation.

Both China and the US have significant influence over global technology advance, as the two countries are leading in AI research and development and application, Zuo Xiaodong, a professor at the School of Public Affairs of University of Science and Technology of China, told the Global Times on Thursday.

"China-US AI cooperation won't be limited to the two nations, but has important implications for global AI evolution, so the latest consensus will be very helpful for the two countries and the world," said Zuo.

AI is an emerging technology that no country has established "relatively mature and comprehensive" rules or guidelines. If the two countries could strengthen cooperation in AI, it will have a positive meaning for the establishment of global AI rules and the building of a stable environment conducive to further AI innovation, Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow from the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Thursday.

China's AI sector has developed at an unprecedented speed this year despite the US blockade, with Chinese high-tech firms including Baidu and iFlytek rushing to deploy ChatGPT-like AI solutions. As of the end of August, 11 Chinese AI large language models, including Baidu's ERNIE Bot, had obtained approval for release to the general public.

During the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing in October, China put forward the Global Initiative for Artificial Intelligence Governance, as the country stands ready to increase exchanges and dialogue with other countries and jointly promote the sound, orderly and secure AI development in the world.

Looking ahead, there is great potential for China and the US to cooperate on AI research and development, talent training and industrial development, Zuo said.

In order to implement the consensus reached by the two leaders of the states, the two countries should strengthen dialogue, build mutual trust and settle their differences, Zuo said.

Since 2018, the US-initiated trade war against China, its crackdown on Chinese high-tech companies and its disregard for China's red-line on the question of Taiwan, have led to deterioration in China-US relations, Zhou said.

Zhou added that a series of mechanisms should be set up in which the two countries could ramp up communication and dialogue so as to strengthen mutual trust and practical cooperation.

"Confrontation will not help solve differences. More efforts are needed from the two sides to create favorable conditions to realize broader exchanges in sectors including culture, tourism and education and create a sound environment for in-depth cooperation," Zhou said.