‘Common ignorance’: how China took the lead in global efforts to govern AI

China staking a claim on AI rule‑making

China is positioning itself at the forefront of global efforts to govern artificial intelligence, industry officials said at the inaugural Hong Kong Global AI Conference at the University of Hong Kong. Fu Hongyu, director of AI governance at AliResearch (阿里研究院) and a policy lead at Alibaba Group Holding (阿里巴巴集团), warned attendees that governments, companies and the public share a “common ignorance” about where AI is headed — and therefore need agreed guardrails now. Short sentence. Big stakes.

Why Beijing says it can lead

Fu argued Beijing’s approach is about balancing rapid technological development with public safety, an imperative underscored by recent worries that large models could be abused for cyberattacks or widespread misinformation. It has been reported that US officials convened an emergency meeting with major banks to discuss risks from Anthropic’s latest model, Mythos, highlighting how swiftly concerns are crossing borders. Chinese models are widely considered to lag US counterparts by roughly three to six months, which raises the question: is China acting out of precaution, opportunity, or a desire to shape global norms?

Geopolitics, trade policy and the next moves

The push for governance arrives amid widening US–China competition over advanced semiconductors, export controls and standards-setting — all of which shape who can build, ship and regulate next‑generation AI systems. Beijing’s advocacy for international coordination reflects both pragmatic risk management and strategic interest in setting rules that will govern foreign companies operating in China and Chinese firms abroad. The bottom line: policymakers and industry must coordinate quickly. Can international forums bridge divergent security concerns and trade policies before another crisis forces ad‑hoc responses? The conference made clear the clock is ticking.