The refusal to meet a visiting delegation during a recent fact-finding trip signals China’s new approach to tech diplomacy, observers say
China’s biggest technology companies gave a US congressional delegation the cold shoulder during a recent visit.
Analysts said this decision – which denied the visitors a rare insider’s view of one of the world’s fastest-moving artificial intelligence ecosystems – reflected Beijing’s increasingly selective approach to AI diplomacy.
It also highlights a paradox: while the two powers continue to pursue dialogue on AI safety, many of the channels that once helped them understand each other are steadily narrowing.
The bipartisan delegation from the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission travelled to Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai earlier this month for the first visit of its kind in seven years.
The fact-finding mission was intended to help shape the commission’s annual report to Congress, which provides lawmakers with an analysis of China’s military, economic and technological developments.
During the trip, commissioners met Chinese government officials, think tankers, diplomats and business representatives to discuss artificial intelligence, advanced technology, biotechnology, economic security and regional issues.