China Flags AI as a New Security Threat

China's State Security Minister Chen Yixin has issued one of Beijing's most detailed public warnings about artificial intelligence, saying that rapid advances in the technology could undermine political stability and expose critical infrastructure to attack.

A New Arena for Great-Power Competition

Writing in China Cyberspace, the official journal of the Cyberspace Administration of China, Chen warned that abusive use of AI by adversaries could "directly threaten China's political security, institutional security and ideological security." He described AI as "a new arena for strategic rivalry among major powers."

AI could have a systemic impact on ideological security, Chen warned, including being "leveraged by hostile forces" to generate rumours and mass-produce harmful information. The remarks go beyond the standard calls for responsible regulation and signal that Beijing views AI as a live national security concern rather than a distant risk.

Cyberattack Risks and the Call for Governance

The technology also poses serious risks to critical information infrastructure, Chen warned, arguing that advances from next-generation Western AI models could significantly lower the technical threshold and costs of executing cyberattacks.

Chen also accused technologically dominant states of disrupting the global AI supply chain through restriction lists, technology controls, and the monopolization of industry standards, without naming specific countries, though the remarks came squarely in the context of the US-China technological rivalry.

Chen called for stronger early-warning mechanisms and public awareness of attempts to use AI for espionage, theft of state secrets, and disinformation campaigns, while also advocating for a fair and open international system of rules for AI.

His comments dovetail with President Xi Jinping's recent proposals at the BRICS summit, where Xi pushed for international cooperation on AI-driven industrialisation and supply chain coordination among emerging economies. China continues to position itself as a responsible advocate for global AI governance, while simultaneously using that rhetoric to push back against US technology export controls.

Sources:
Bloomberg: China Spy Chief Warns of AI Risks
South China Morning Post: China's Intelligence Chief Warns of Risks from AI