Between Rivalry and Risks: AI and the Future of U.S.-China Relations

As artificial intelligence rapidly evolves into the defining technology of the 21st century, it is reshaping the landscape of U.S.-China relations in unprecedented ways. How do leading Chinese experts assess the intersection of AI competition and shared security risks? What realistic opportunities exist for bilateral cooperation amid escalating strategic rivalry? And what frameworks can manage the existential threats posed by unregulated AI development? Recorded against the backdrop of President Donald Trump's visit to China, the first episode of SinoAI Insights, a new podcast launched by the Center for International Security and Strategy, Tsinghua University (CISS), explores the dual nature of AI as both a driver of great-power competition and a catalyst for necessary cooperation, offering a comprehensive Chinese perspective on the future of U.S.-China relations in the AI era.【Host】XIAO Qian, Deputy Director, CISS, Tsinghua University【Guests】SUN Chenghao, Fellow, CISS, Tsinghua UniversityJIANG Tianjiao, Associate Professor, Development Institute; Research Fellow, Center for Global AI Innovative Governance, Fudan UniversityGU Dengchen, Research expert on China's industrial policy; Non-resident Fellow, CISS, Tsinghua University【Shownotes】【01:53】 Expectations for the AI agenda at the summit【05:30】 When AI meets the "nuclear button"【07:23】 Shared U.S.-China AI risks under the shadow of chip export controls【09:54】 Beyond "human-in-the-loop" paradigm【12:55】 How to overcome the security dilemma of defensive R&D【14:28】 Non-state actors and the misuse of AI【17:53】 The three most urgent AI security frontiers shared by China and the U.S.【20:49】 Chinese industry perspectives on AI risk and governance【24:15】 Distillation: Technical Tool or Political ladder? 【27:17】 Will technological competition undermine scientific collaboration and open innovation?【29:55】 In favor of functional cooperation to a unified governance architecture【34:00】 What kind of crisis management mechanisms are more resilient?【36:48】 Are Chinese scholars still optimistic about the future of AI governance?【Team】Executive Producer: XIAO QianProducer: WANG Yexu, LIU YuanPodcast Editor: WANG YexuContent Assistant: ZHONG JunwenGraphics Designer: XU Ruijia