China This Week | Is China cheating on AI, going overboard with manufacturing, and other debates

In a week marked by US-China tensions, two major issues have drawn attention: accusations of Chinese cheating in artificial intelligence (AI) and allegations of overproduction in Chinese manufacturing. Reuters recently examined over 80 academic papers and discovered that "Chinese military researchers have used outputs from leading U.S. artificial intelligence models developed by OpenAI and Anthropic to train domestic AI systems."

This follows similar allegations from US tech giants against rising Chinese AI companies. However, the response is not limited to the US government alone; the Chinese government has also retaliated by imposing economic countermeasures, including export controls on drones and sanctions on six American entities.

Furthermore, a government document titled "China's Position on the So-called Excess Capacity Issue" addresses concerns about Chinese manufacturing in various parts of the world and the impact of cheap goods on global markets. The term "so-called" suggests China's intent to challenge these questions. The paper discusses historical shifts in global trade and the relationship between subsidies and industrial capacity, while also acknowledging the need for global cooperation to maintain prosperity.

However, some critics argue that the paper is disingenuous, as it fails to address the issue of overcapacity and its consequences. The timing of this release is particularly significant, as it coincides with Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to the US, following US President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing in May.