Xi Says China Must Take a Leading Role in Artificial Intelligence

Chinese President Xi Jinping said China must play a leading role in artificial intelligence, framing the technology as a field where Beijing intends to set the terms rather than follow, according to reporting Friday.

The Financial Times reported that Xi called for a positive use of the technology as Beijing seeks to strengthen its influence over the rules and standards that will govern AI globally. The push runs alongside a broader Chinese drive for technological self-sufficiency, illustrated by domestic advances the South China Morning Post highlighted this week, including a reported breakthrough in sodium-ion battery technology by a Chinese scientist.

The context is United States export controls that have restricted China's access to the most advanced chips. Rather than slowing Beijing's ambitions, the restrictions have pushed it to build a parallel technology base in chips, computing hardware and AI systems. Xi's language, emphasizing standards and governance, points to a contest not only over who builds the best models but over whose rules the rest of the world adopts.

The timing is notable. As Western investors reassess the valuations of AI-linked companies, China is signaling that it intends to compete regardless of market sentiment, a divergence that could split the global technology industry into two increasingly separate spheres.