A spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce answered questions from reporters regarding the US's announcement of plans to investigate and impose sanctions on Chinese artificial intelligence companies

Q: Recently, some senior US officials have publicly stated that they will investigate Chinese artificial intelligence companies for allegedly "distilling" cutting-edge models from the US, and may sanction Chinese companies for "stealing US intellectual property" and other reasons. What is China's comment on this?

Answer: We have noticed the relevant situation. China has always opposed the politicization and instrumentalization of technology and economic issues by the United States, as well as the stigmatization of Chinese companies and the imposition of sanctions for various unfounded reasons. The US ignores the fact that Chinese companies' artificial intelligence models are released very close to the US cutting-edge models, and some of China's model capabilities are already in a leading position. They label Chinese companies as relying on "distillation" and "stealing US intellectual property", and threaten to impose sanctions. These practices lack factual basis, legal support, and double standards in practice, which are typical acts of artificial intelligence hegemony.

Innovation is not the patent of any party. Chinese artificial intelligence enterprises have long been deeply engaged in basic research, adhering to the principles of technological self-reliance and open cooperation, and upholding the concepts of consultation, co construction, and sharing. They have promoted the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology and achieved remarkable achievements in more and more fields such as front-end code capabilities. It is understood that many American artificial intelligence companies have distilled Chinese models in their research and training. It is worth noting that many companies in the US industry openly oppose the US threat to sanction Chinese artificial intelligence companies. Nearly 200 American startups are urging the US government not to cut off access to Chinese open-source models, believing that this will weaken the competitiveness of American companies. Some large multinational corporations in the United States have stated that model distillation is a widely used technology in the industry and that American companies should be allowed to use Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models.

China urges the US to listen to the objective and rational voices of the Chinese and American industries, correct hegemonic thinking, and stop smearing and threatening sanctions against Chinese companies. For any substantial damage to China's interests, China will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. We hope that the US will effectively implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, work together with China to strengthen dialogue and communication on artificial intelligence, and jointly promote the advancement and goodness of artificial intelligence. By promoting and improving the governance of artificial intelligence, we can benefit both countries and the world.