China Rejects US Warnings on AI Speed, Pursues Own Safety-Pace Balance

China is resisting US calls to slow artificial intelligence development, viewing such appeals as an attempt to preserve America's technological lead. Beijing is instead pursuing its own balance between safety and rapid progress in the field. The US and China are the world's top two AI powers, with American frontier models still ahead, though Chinese firms are closing the gap. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently proposed a global slowdown in AI development requiring cooperation with China, but analysts say Beijing rejects this as a bid to lock in US advantage. China's foreign ministry dismissed such warnings as "fearmongering" that disrupts global AI governance. China has released its third AI safety framework, addressing risks like agents and cybersecurity threats, showing some common ground with US concerns. However, Beijing prioritizes state control and economic growth, actively encouraging AI adoption across industries while regulating its use. Chinese companies do less voluntary safety testing than US counterparts, and neither government appears fully prepared for a major loss-of-control incident.