The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has responded to US plans to investigate and potentially sanction Chinese AI companies, following remarks from senior US officials. According to the ministry's spokesperson, Washington has publicly stated it will probe the alleged "distillation" of its frontier AI models by Chinese firms and may impose sanctions on charges of "intellectual property theft."
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Beijing has noted these developments. China consistently opposes the US politicization and weaponization of technological and economic issues, as well as the stigmatization and sanctioning of Chinese companies on baseless grounds. The US, ignoring the fact that the launch times of related Chinese AI models are very close to those of US frontier models and that some Chinese models have already taken a leading position, has labeled Chinese firms with accusations of "distillation" and "stealing US intellectual property," while threatening suppression and sanctions. These actions lack factual basis, have no legal support, and apply double standards in practice, representing typical AI hegemonic behavior.
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Innovation is not the monopoly of any single party. Chinese AI enterprises have long been engaged in basic research, emphasizing both independent technological progress and open cooperation, and adhering to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits. This has driven the rapid development of AI technology, yielding impressive achievements in an increasing number of fields, such as front-end code capabilities. It is understood that many US AI companies have also distilled Chinese models during their research, development, and training processes. Notably, numerous companies in the US industry have publicly opposed the threat of sanctions against Chinese AI firms. Nearly 200 US startups have urged the US government not to cut off access to Chinese open-source models, arguing that doing so would weaken the competitiveness of US companies. Some large US multinational corporations have indicated that model distillation is a widely used industry technique, and US companies should be permitted to utilize Chinese open-source AI models.
China urges the US to listen to the objective and rational voices of industries in both countries, correct its hegemonic mindset, and cease the defamation and threat of sanctions against Chinese enterprises. For any actions that substantively harm China's interests, Beijing will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. It is hoped that the US will implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, work in the same direction as China, strengthen dialogue and communication on AI, jointly promote the positive and beneficial development of AI, and benefit both countries and the world by advancing and improving AI governance.
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