Reuters reports that Global Times accused the US of trying “to curb China’s AI development through technological barriers and regulatory monopolies.”

It called the proposal a “silent AI Cold War” that is “hypocritical and short-sighted.”

China’s Foreign Ministry used more diplomatic language. According to AP:

“Fearmongering, confrontation and vicious competition will only disrupt the process of global AI governance which serves no one’s interest.”

Beijing’s position is clear: it supports international AI governance, but rejects a slowdown combined with US restrictions on Chinese compute and model development.

Slow down is over friends before it even started.