China calls for “red lines” for AI and fewer trade barriers in Davos

Chinese Premier Li Qiang denounced on Tuesday in the Davos World Economic Forum trade barriers “discriminatory” and advocated establishing “Red lines” for the development of artificial intelligence.

Li Qiang is the highest-ranking Chinese official to participate in the World Economic Forum held every year in Switzerland since 2017, when President Xi Jinping attended the event.

In his speech, delivered a few days after the presidential election in Taiwan, which raises fears of a resurgence of tensions between China and the United States, he did not address diplomatic issues head-on, focusing on the economy.

Li denounced the “discriminatory measures for trade and investment” qthat resurface every year and stated that “all obstacles or disruptions can slow down or block vital flows for the World economy”.

The prime minister did not name any country, but trade has been a thorny issue between China and the United States and the European Union (EU) in recent years.

Recently, the United States again put limits on exports of chips essential for the development of artificial intelligence technology and the EU opened an investigation into Chinese subsidies for electric vehicles.

White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan responded from Davos that the United States’ restrictions on the export of some semiconductors to China “they are not a technological blockage” and seek to protect national security.

“I want to be clear that these bespoke provisions are not a technological blockade, they do not seek to restrict trade or investment in general and they do not”Sullivan said in a speech at the Forum.

“The race has already begun”

Li Qiang also advocated a “good governance” for booming AI technology, ensuring that China “wishes to develop communication and cooperation with all parties to improve artificial intelligence governance mechanisms.”

The advances of so-called generative artificial intelligence, which impacted public opinion with the ChatGPT program, monopolized many of the debates in Davos.

The president of the European Commission, Ursula van der Leyen, warned that the EU must “redouble your efforts” so as not to be left behind in this race.

“The race has already begun. Our future competitiveness depends on the integration of AI in our daily activities“, he pointed.

For his part, Microsoft boss Satya Nadella defended his partnership with OpenAI, the creator of chatGPT, where his investment of approximately $13 billion since 2019 is in the crosshairs of European regulators.

“Associations are a way to have competition,” stated at an event organized by Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Davos meeting, highlighting the “great risk” taken over by Microsoft.

The meeting in Davos will be the international debut of the Argentine president, Javier Milei, who will present his libertarian ideas before this forum that brings together the world’s economic and political elites.

This 53-year-old ultra-liberal economist who took office just over a month ago generates great interest. “There are more than 60 bilateral requests,” Milei said before traveling. “I have no way of physically responding to such a demand.”