Innovation thrives on openness, cooperation: China Daily editorial

The 2026 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, held in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, with its emphasis on open-source artificial intelligence and international cooperation, carries a timely message: technological progress is better served by openness and collaboration rather than suspicion and exclusion.

The annual gathering of the global internet community, running from Monday to Thursday, offers more than a showcase of the latest technological achievements in the sector. The development of global AI ecosystems and the governance of emerging technologies have become pressing questions for governments, businesses and societies worldwide. By bringing technology executives, researchers, developers and international representatives together for face-to-face exchanges, the Wuzhen Summit provides a valuable platform for discussing not only where AI is heading, but how its benefits and risks can be managed.

The summit's 27 sub-forums, covering almost everything from AI agents and embodied intelligence to robotics and international cyberspace governance, reflect the breadth of the opportunities and challenges. In particular, the gathering's focus on building a global open-source AI ecosystem has caught high attention. Such an ecosystem means that no country or company can determine the future of a technology that is becoming integral to the global economy. Cooperation on standards, safety and innovation is not a concession of competitive advantage; it is a prerequisite for making technological progress sustainable.

Chips, large language models and robots are increasingly interconnected components of such an ecosystem. China's innovation vitality lies precisely in this integrated chain, linking research, manufacturing and commercial applications. That is also why attempts to contain China's technological development through restrictions on individual technologies are unlikely to achieve their intended purpose.

The summit's attention to 6G is similarly forward-looking. By integrating communication, sensing, computing and AI, 6G can support intelligent transport, low-altitude aviation and connectivity across remote regions, oceans and the skies. Its significance lies in expanding the relationship between the physical and digital worlds.

The summit's discussions on one-person companies also recognize how open-source tools and AI agents are lowering the barriers to entrepreneurship. This could broaden participation in the digital economy, provided that entrepreneurial talent is given room to experiment and grow.

In addition, the summit zooms in on the prospects of the digital-intelligence consumer market, and highlights exoskeletons and brain-computer interfaces that could improve the lives of elderly people and those with disabilities.

Just as Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Wuzhen Summit, despite rapid technological advances, one major question of common concern remains unchanged, namely how to make the internet better serve humanity.

Calling for joint efforts to build a community with a shared future in cyberspace, Li said China will continue to pursue innovation through openness, promote technology transfer and knowledge sharing, and work with other countries to foster an open, inclusive and dynamic digital innovation ecosystem.

However, some seem to have a different understanding of this emphasis on openness and cooperation. On Monday, an OpenAI executive, Caroline Zier, raised the specter of Chinese companies allegedly distilling US AI models, portraying the practice as a "security threat" in discussions about China-US AI cooperation.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning has made clear Beijing's stance on the issue. Mao pointed out that China's AI advances are the result of high-level technological self-reliance and independent innovation, alongside its consistent commitment to consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. The United States should refrain from unfounded accusations and smears. China and the US, as major players in the AI sector, should strengthen cooperation and dialogue.

The OpenAI executive would do better to address the security vulnerabilities and incidents that have been exposed in that company's own operations rather than repeatedly hyping allegations against Chinese competitors, in a bid to mislead the China-US AI talks. Raising legitimate technical concerns is one thing; turning them into a geopolitical talking point is another. The China-US AI discussions should provide a channel for the two sides to address shared risks, not a platform for companies to advance their commercial interests and policy agendas into diplomacy.

Technological leadership is not secured by closing doors, but by creating the conditions for innovation to flourish. In an interconnected digital world, openness is not weakness. It is a source of resilience, and should be a foundation for progress that benefits more than a privileged few.