China’s top intelligence official has warned that artificial intelligence is becoming both a major strategic asset and a growing national security threat, calling for stronger regulation and greater technological independence as competition between China and the United States intensifies.
Chen Yixin, China’s minister of State Security and Communist Party secretary, described AI as a central battlefield in global technological competition. His comments appeared in China Cyberspace Magazine, a publication operated by the country’s Cyberspace Administration.
Chen warned that advanced AI could be weaponized to discover and exploit software vulnerabilities, attack critical infrastructure and steal industrial or government secrets. He also raised concerns about AI-powered applications with extensive device permissions, arguing that some could expose sensitive user information or create opportunities for remote control.
Another concern involves Chinese users sending sensitive information to foreign AI services. Chen said insufficient security awareness could result in confidential information being processed outside China, potentially creating large-scale data leaks.
His concerns extend beyond conventional cybersecurity. Chen argued that AI introduces new uncertainties into social governance, including algorithmic bias, poisoned training data, privacy violations and difficulties determining responsibility when automated systems make consequential decisions.
China’s existing regulatory system may also struggle to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI capabilities. Chen said legal frameworks, ethical standards and governance mechanisms frequently lag behind technological development, making effective oversight increasingly difficult.
His proposed response centers heavily on technological sovereignty. China should maintain independent control over critical technologies and develop domestic capabilities that reduce dependence on foreign suppliers while balancing innovation with national security.
That strategy has implications for foreign semiconductor companies seeking access to the Chinese AI market. Beijing’s emphasis on controlling core technologies reinforces its push toward domestic processors and infrastructure as restrictions continue to affect access to advanced foreign chips.
Chen also called for dedicated legislation covering AI research, development, deployment and supervision. Such rules would address areas including algorithm security, data protection, privacy, ethical standards, risk management and accountability.
The comments coincide with the release of version 3.0 of China’s AI Safety Governance Framework. The framework promotes regulatory sandboxes that allow controlled experimentation with emerging technologies while giving authorities mechanisms to intervene when systems create unacceptable risks.
Chinese regulators say AI governance should address threats ranging from violations of individual rights to risks affecting public interests, national security and potentially human survival. At the same time, Beijing wants regulation to leave enough room for domestic AI companies to continue developing new technologies.
The position highlights the increasingly different approaches being taken by major powers. While China is emphasizing centralized regulation, technological sovereignty and national-security controls, the United States has recently moved toward a more permissive approach focused on accelerating AI development and maintaining technological leadership.
AI has therefore become more than a competition over better models. For Beijing, it is increasingly connected to cybersecurity, data sovereignty, semiconductor independence and geopolitical power, making control over the technology an important component of China’s broader national security strategy.