The United States is moving aggressively to solidify its technological dominance. This has become the core logic behind its efforts to reshape the global order. But the best approach for the world is to develop a model of cooperation rooted in mutual benefits and shared gains.

AI governance is a shared global challenge, and China and the U.S., as major AI powers, face new risks and challenges with Trump's return to the White House, making cooperation neither wholly pessimistic nor optimistic. A transactional "strategic stability dialogue" should be established to build trust, manage competition, rather than direct rivalry, and ensure transparency and rationality in AI governance despite rising tensions.

U.S. restrictions aimed at obstructing China’s technological development have, in practice, accelerated China’s pursuit of technological self-reliance.

China-U.S. competition in the realm of artificial intelligence boils down to development ability. The advantages of the United States are no longer secure. What matters is who will lead sustainably in the future.

China’s new export licensing system strengthens its control over key rare earth elements, deepening supply chain risks. Although new processing facilities are emerging abroad, they won’t soon offset China’s dominance, prolonging global uncertainty.

Yes, they can. As the world’s two major powers in AI technology, the U.S. and China must work together to build capacity, contribute to AI for developing countries, bridge the digital divide and help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The debate over DeepSeek puts on clear display how political nationalism risks stifling technological progress. While some push for strict AI decoupling, experts warn that restricting collaboration could undermine innovation. We must find a way to balance national security with the open exchange of ideas that drives scientific advancement.

China’s recent successes in tech and entertainment have proven to the world that its creativity and innovation can keep pace with the Western-dominated zeitgeist. How might this translate into China’s relations with states across the globe?

Three major conferences held in Europe — the Davos Forum, the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit and the Munich Security Conference — underscored the defining feature of the current international landscape: It’s a complex and evolving mix of cooperation and competition.

The rapidly growing AI industry was rocked last month with the launch of DeepSeek, an open-source, Chinese-developed competitor to OpenAI’s products. The introduction of a valid competitor to American dominance in AI will lead to many questions in 2025 on how the U.S. will respond.