Wang calls for China-US cooperation on AI development and governance

China and the United States have both the capacity and the responsibility to work together on artificial intelligence development and governance, ensuring the technology remains under human control and benefits people, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

Wang made the remarks during a meeting with John L. Thornton, co-chair of the Board of Trustees of the Asia Society, and New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman in the Xiong'an New Area, Hebei province. Both were in China to attend the 2026 Global Governance Forum (Xiong'an).

As two leading countries in AI, China and the US should cooperate not only to guard against risks but also to discuss globally applicable rules and standards, enabling the technology to promote shared prosperity and common security, Wang said.

China advocates inclusive AI development that serves the common good, he added.

On global governance, Wang said the world faced multiple deficits, including in peace, development and security. The Global Governance Initiative has provided an important public good and received broad international recognition and support, he said.

Wang praised Thornton and Friedman's longstanding efforts to promote China-US relations and expressed hope that they would contribute to the forum's success.

A press release issued by the Foreign Ministry quoted Thornton and Friedman as saying that the malicious use of AI posed the greatest risk to building a constructive US-China relationship of strategic stability. They expressed hope that the two countries would strengthen cooperation on the issue and provide an important public good for the world.

The international community was closely following the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting hosted by China, they said, expressing hope that China would use the occasion to play a distinctive and positive role in addressing global challenges.