China emphasizes development, security in global governance of AI: FM

BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- China emphasizes both development and security in global artificial intelligence (AI) governance, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday.

"New things and new opportunities should be embraced, and brakes should be checked before setting off," Wang told a press conference held on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the national legislature, calling for concerted efforts to advance global governance of AI.

Wang noted that China's main focus is to ensure that the development of AI benefits the well-being of humanity, that AI is always under the control of humanity, and that every country can participate in and benefit from the development of AI equally.

"Attempts to create 'small yard, high fence' in AI development would only result in mistakes with historic consequences," Wang said.

Such attempts cannot block other countries' technological development. Instead, they would only fragment international industrial and supply chains and undercut humanity's ability to tackle risks and challenges, he added.

Wang stressed that, in the field of AI, cooperation between major countries is vital, and so is capacity-building for developing countries.

"We will submit in due course to the UN General Assembly a draft resolution on enhancing international cooperation on capacity-building of AI to encourage technology sharing and bridge the AI gap, so as not to leave any country behind," he said.