British Foreign Minister: China has been invited
According to a report by Reference News on the 19th, British Foreign Secretary Cleverley stated that the UK has invited China to participate in the Global Artificial Intelligence Summit held in the UK in November, and emphasized that China is one of the leading countries in the field of artificial intelligence technology. This is the first time a senior British cabinet official has confirmed an invitation to China to attend a summit.
British Prime Minister Sunak announced during his visit to the United States in June this year that he would hold an AI Security Summit, hoping that the UK would become a global leader in the field of AI regulation. The summit from November 1st to 2nd will bring together technology executives, scholars, and heads of relevant international institutions to discuss the risks brought by AI technology.
Cleverley stated in a statement that the UK hopes to use this summit to set the tone for international regulation of AI. "We cannot exclude China as a leader in AI technology, which is why China is invited to the summit," he said
He added, "The UK's policy towards China is to protect our own institutions and infrastructure, align with our partners, and engage in ways that align with the UK's national interests."
Cleverley became the highest ranking British official to visit China in five years last month, advocating for increased contact with China. He believes that attempting to isolate the world's second largest economy would be a mistake, as both climate change and economic issues require China's participation.
According to the 2023 Global AI Index ranking released by Tortoise Media in the UK, the top three countries in terms of comprehensive artificial intelligence are the United States, China, and Singapore. The UK ranks fourth.
The report shows that although the UK has invested heavily in AI research and business, it has dropped from third place to fourth place in 2023.
Top 10 Global Artificial Intelligence Index in 2023
According to British media, excluding China from the AI summit would be a huge mistake. The risks brought by AI transcend national borders, and without China's participation, any international agreements reached would be in vain. Moreover, China is the only country that has issued regulations specifically targeting generative artificial intelligence, and this experience is very valuable for this summit.
Meanwhile, British Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunter stated that due to the hesitation of British allies, the UK will only invite China to a limited portion of the summit.
Japan earlier opposed it, claiming that it does not support inviting China to participate. Japan has also proposed holding multiple meetings on AI issues, including a summit limited to G7 leaders, as well as broader meetings attended by ministerial level officials from G7, China, and developing countries.
Meanwhile, White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrian Watson stated that the United States has no objections to China's participation in the summit.
The Governor of Chang'an Street noticed that recently, British media have hyped up the so-called "Chinese spy case", claiming that as concerns about "espionage activities" intensify, Sunak is considering only allowing China to participate in the first day of the summit. In response, the Chinese Embassy in the UK has repeatedly refuted the incident, stating that it is a self directed and self performed political farce.
At the regular press conference of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 15th, spokesperson Mao Ning made a statement on the issue of so-called "Chinese spies". Mao Ning said that the claim of "China engaging in espionage activities against Britain" is unfounded, and China has no interest or will interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.
