Participants attend a China-UK dialogue on artificial intelligence in Beijing on May 20, 2025. Photo: Website of Foreign Ministry of China

China and the UK held a significant meeting on artificial intelligence (AI) in Beijing on Tuesday, a latest move in China-UK sci-tech exchanges. Representatives from both sides agree to maintain close communication and coordination on the global AI governance, according to a statement from Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The dialogue was co-hosted by director-deneral of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Sun Xiaobo and director of the International Science and Technology Department at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Chris Jones.

The two sides conducted in-depth exchange of views on the opportunities and challenges posed by AI, as well as their respective national policies in this area. They expressed support for continued enhanced exchanges, mutual learning and pragmatic cooperation to promote the healthy, secure, and orderly development of AI in both countries. 

The two sides also agreed to maintain communication and coordination on the global AI governance. They pledged to work together to implement the Global Digital Compact and Declaration on Future Generations adopted at UN Summit of the Future to assist developing countries in strengthening their capacity building, and to ensure that the development of AI is universally beneficial and inclusive.

Attending the dialogue on Tuesday were representatives from China's National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Cyberspace Administration of China, as well as officials from the UK's the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Cabinet Office, Department for Business and Trade, and the British Embassy in China.

This meeting was held amid the ongoing China-UK cooperation in AI technology.

"China and the United Kingdom should continue science and technology exchanges, especially in the field of AI, without overstretching the concept of national security," Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom Zheng Zeguang said at the 2025 Sino-UK Entrepreneur Forum on May 14.

Zheng said that China's AI development has been expanding in scale and flourishing in innovation, with ever-increasing real-life applications, and that China welcomes international collaboration on this emerging technology.

Noting that China sent a delegation to the UK's AI Safety Summit in 2023, and the UK participated in a meeting on international cooperation on AI capacity-building hosted by China early in May, Zheng said, "We would welcome the UK sending a senior delegation to the upcoming AI conference in Shanghai."

The development and governance of AI requires international cooperation, the ambassador said, adding that for further exchanges and collaboration, it is important to correct "misconceptions about China and get rid of political interference."

"Some in the UK continue to view China through an outdated lens. They hold on to their ideological biases, overstretch the concept of national security, and try to disrupt China-UK sci-tech exchanges," he said. "It must be pointed out that both countries have a solid sci-tech foundation and enjoy unique strengths. We can very well learn from each other."

Global Times