Good evening. China is racing ahead to regulate AI: building guardrails for its domestic industry while also making moves to get ahead of the problem in the international community. Our cover story this week dives deep into its efforts at home and abroad — and shows how one might affect the other. Elsewhere, we have infographics on China’s laser advantage in autonomous vehicles; an interview with Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian on China’s pressure campaigns; a reported piece on the limits of China and Russia’s no limits partnership; and an op-ed on Li Keqiang’s legacy. If you’re not already a paid subscriber to The Wire, please sign up here.
Want this emailed directly to your inbox? Sign up to receive our free newsletter.
The Race to Regulate
Beijing is eager for international collaboration on artificial intelligence, arguing that AI is a Pandora’s Box that poses existential threats to humanity if not properly controlled. But as China races ahead with regulating its own AI industry, can it win support for international governance as well? Rachel Cheung reports.
The Big Picture: Winning The Laser Battle
Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) systems, which use lasers to remotely sense the features of an environment with a high degree of precision, are a core element in autonomous vehicles and have been embraced by Chinese companies. This week’s infographics by Aaron Mc Nicholas look at the leading Chinese companies involved in developing the technology and highlight its potential as a flashpoint in U.S.-China tech competition in the years to come.
A Q&A with Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian
Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian is a China reporter at Axios, where she writes the Axios China newsletter and covers China’s role in the world from Taipei. She previously served as the lead reporter for the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists’ (ICIJ) China Cables project, a leak of classified Chinese government documents about Xinjiang, and as a reporter and editor for Foreign Policy. This summer, she published Beijing Rules: How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World (2023). In this week’s Q&A with Katrina Northrop, she talks about China’s ability to pressure individuals, companies and countries, and what can be done in response.
Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian
Illustration by Lauren Crow
The Limits on China and Russia’s No Limits Partnership
Despite the warmth on show between Xi and Putin, Beijing has been careful about how far it supports Moscow. Katrina Northrop reports.
Li Keqiang: The Man Who Followed the Rules
The former premier warned of the dangers of unchecked power, writes Victor Shih in this week’s op-ed.
Subscribe today for unlimited access, starting at only $19 a month.
