China on August 19 urged respect for each country's digital sovereignty, responding to a Reuters report that the U.S. is preparing to tell dozens of countries they must pick sides in the artificial intelligence race with Beijing.
According to a U.S. official and an internal draft reviewed by Reuters, Washington will warn countries they will be excluded from a U.S.-led AI coalition if they also sign up for China's competing framework. China is opposed to taking sides and forming camps on AI, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular briefing.
"Each country has the right to choose its partners based on its national conditions and development needs," Lin said, framing the U.S. approach as an attempt to force countries into rigid blocs on AI governance.
The confrontation marks an escalation in the global AI governance struggle, with the U.S. and China each building competing alliances and frameworks for how AI should be developed, deployed, and regulated worldwide. The U.S. approach of demanding exclusive alignment echoes similar "choose sides" dynamics seen in broader geopolitical tensions, but now applied specifically to AI infrastructure and standards.
The move comes as AI becomes an increasingly central element of national security and economic competition, with countries worldwide grappling with how to balance innovation with safety and sovereignty concerns.
