China a willing AI partner in building bright new world
DeepSeek’s application will greatly benefit the world in various aspects.
Taking restrictive measures against it under the pretext of “security risks” is an attempt to overstretch the concept of national security and politicise trade and tech issues.
This would hinder technological progress worldwide and is detrimental to global economic recovery and development. In this regard, I would like to make clarification on two points.
First, China’s artificial intelligence efforts are driving global technological progress. In recent years, new breakthroughs in AI technology have become a key driver of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. DeepSeek is one of the outstanding representatives in this field.
Compared to other AI models, DeepSeek requires less computing power, incurs lower costs, and can be downloaded and used for free by anyone. This makes AI innovation truly accessible to all humanity, providing a low-cost, high-performance model for AI development in countries around the world, including Australia.
DeepSeek has accelerated the democratisation of the latest AI advancements, propelling the global technology industry to new heights, and it has received widespread acclaim from international tech giants.
Second, China extremely prioritises data security in AI development. China’s government attaches great importance to data security and has always adhered to the rule of law in protecting data. It has never required, nor will it require, companies or individuals to collect or store data illegally. In the field of AI, China has always maintained a dual focus on development and regulation, ensuring strict protection of data security.
As early as 2020, China took the lead in proposing the Global Initiative on Data Security, which explicitly called on all countries to refrain from directly accessing foreign data from companies or individuals. In 2022, President Xi Jinping introduced the Global Security Initiative, which called for strengthening international governance on emerging technologies such as AI. In 2023, President Xi put forward the Global Initiative for AI Governance, advocating for the protection of personal privacy and data security in AI applications worldwide. Currently, China is working with more than 100 countries and regional organisations to implement these initiatives, jointly safeguarding global data security.
In contrast to some AI companies that conceal data processing details under the guise of “commercial confidentiality”, DeepSeek not only implements privacy policies that comply with the most stringent international standards but also clearly outlines the location and methods of data storage. The company uses advanced data encryption and anonymisation technologies to ensure user data is not misused, earning high praise from AI experts worldwide, including those from Australia.
The world is embarking on the new journey of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a transformation unprecedented in its breadth and depth, set to completely reshape humanity’s technological and production frameworks. Countries can only stand at the forefront of global technological advancement by breaking down barriers, embracing the world’s most outstanding wisdom, and absorbing the most advanced results.
Only by converting these advancements into productive forces can a country continuously improve its productivity and secure a place in the intense international competition, benefiting both the nation and its people. Decoupling and severing of supply chains have no future, and building “small yards with high fences” will only lead to self-isolation. Openness and co-operation are the only viable options.
China and Australia are both open economies and have benefited from free trade and international co-operation.
To gain a competitive edge in future development, both countries must embrace openness and integration in the global economic and technological development trends.
Only then can we seize opportunities in the coming intelligent era and ensure mutual prosperity.
As the era of AI accelerates, China is ready to work with Australia to enhance mutual understanding and trust, deepen pragmatic co-operation, and jointly build an open, inclusive, equitable, secure and non-discriminatory AI development environment. Together, we will explore the vast potential of artificial intelligence and contribute to a brighter, intelligent future for the whole world.
Xiao Qian is China’s ambassador to Australia.
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