China’s growth and influence on Asia, or its military modernization and economic expansion were the major themes of China discussion for years. In today’s world, however, a new and more significant shift is taking place in global politics: China’s bid to be the world leader in the governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). There, China is creating something different: a state centered model where technology, governance and national security are closely intertwined, while the United States is taking the lead in the AI innovation market via private companies.
This new issue goes beyond advanced technology, it is about whose agenda will set the rules for the future digital world.
China has seen rapid advances in artificial intelligence, in the area of facial recognition and surveillance systems, autonomous technologies, fintech and smart cities. Many AI-related research efforts are led by Chinese firms such as Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu, which have been investing significantly in the field, and China’s government has been promoting future strategic investments through programs like the “Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan.” Beijing sees AI as a key driver for socio-economic development, security and international competitiveness.
The key difference of China’s approach is that, while focusing on innovation, they are also regulating and overseeing the process through the state. In China, which is much more focused on the societal benefits of AI, the discussion is more about enhancing social control and state power. This governance is now being exported under the auspices of the Digital Silk Road, an initiative with the aim of providing developing countries with Chinese digital infrastructure, surveillance technologies and smart governance systems.
This trend has major implications for the Global South, especially countries like Pakistan. In many developing countries, institutions are weak, security issues are an increasing problem and digital infrastructure is inadequate. The appeal of the Chinese model is that it would ensure efficiency, modernization and technological advances without necessitating democratic reforms in the West. As part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, Pakistan might be increasingly implementing Chinese digital technologies in urban governance, cyber security and e-governance.
But there are significant concerns when it comes to the expansion of China’s AI governance model. There are concerns that high-tech surveillance systems could compromise civil liberties, provide a means for greater state control over citizens and reduce freedom of expression. Facial recognition systems and digital surveillance are often subject to criticism by human rights groups in areas such as Xinjiang. If these governance systems were to be widespread globally, the future internet could get more fragmented, controlled and politically divided.
Meanwhile, Western condemnations of China tend to be self-contradictory. American tech firms also have vast amounts of data on their users, shape political debate, and hold a stranglehold on global online markets. Hence, the debate on AI goes beyond the dichotomy of democracy and authoritarianism, as issues become more complex.Thus, the global AI debate is not only now about democracy versus authoritarianism, but more nuanced. It’s more and more a matter of rival forms of digital governance and technological power.
From the perspective of international relations, China’s ascendance with AI is a significant development in the evolving landscape of global power dynamics, marking a new frontier in the way technology can shape geopolitics. Today’s rules makers of AI will be the countries that will influence international norms in the future. As industrial power determined the balance of power in the 19th century and nuclear power did in the 20th, artificial intelligence might do so in the 21st century.
Consequently, it is important for Pakistan and other developing countries not to remain passive players in this technological race. Rather, they should establish independent digital policies, invest in education and innovation, and design policies that safeguard national security and citizens’ rights within a legal framework. Cloning either the Chinese or the Western model could lead to dependencies in the long term.
China’s involvement in the governance of AI is thus not just a technological narrative. It is the dawn of a new era in world politics, in which algorithms, data and digital infrastructure could be as significant as armies and economics. The question is, will AI change the world it already does? But who’s going to govern it’s rules?
Hasnat Iqbal
Hasnat Iqbal is an undergraduate student of International Relations at Fatima Jinnah Women University, with a strong interest in global politics, foreign policy, and digital diplomacy. Her academic focus includes South Asian geopolitics, international political economy, and the impact of emerging technologies on international relations. She writes to make complex global issues accessible and relevant to a wider audience.
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