Security Dilemma and US-China Generative AI race

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is not only transforming societies but also redefining the very foundations of international relations. Around the world, governments are racing to secure technological leadership, framing AI as both an economic opportunity and a strategic imperative. China has declared its ambition to become an AI superpower by 2030, while the United States is equally determined to safeguard its global dominance. These competing trajectories have intensified the AI race, driving technological decoupling and placing U.S.–China relations at the heart of the struggle for global order.

Not surprisingly, the rise of AI has introduced new complexities into the traditional U.S.–China security dilemma, with both sides viewing each other's technological advances as potential threats. This talk examines US-China AI race with a focus on how ChatGPT has further complicated these dynamics. Its success triggered not only Chinese anxiety over losing ground in technological and strategic competition but also concerns about threats to ideological and regime security. In response, China implemented a series of measures aimed at regulating generative AI to preserve domestic stability while simultaneously advancing its own technological capabilities. These reactions, coupled with the technical success of China's DeepSeek, reshaped the competitive landscape—this time triggering anxiety and strategic insecurity in the US and propelling the U.S.–China generative AI race into a new, more intense phase.

Bio:

Jinghan Zeng is a Professor at City University of Hong Kong. He is the author of Artificial Intelligence with Chinese Characteristics: National Strategy, Security and Authoritarian Governance (2022), Slogan Politics: Understanding Chinese Foreign Policy Concepts (2020) and The Chinese Communist Party's Capacity to Rule: Ideology, Legitimacy and Party Cohesion (2015). He is also the co-editor of One Belt, One Road, One Story? Towards an EU-China Strategic Narrative (2021). He has published over thirty refereed articles in leading journals of politics, international relations and area studies. Professor Zeng has participated in Track II AI dialogues with China and the United States, testified before the UK Parliament's Committee on AI in Weapon Systems, and advised the UK Cabinet Office, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and FTSE 100 companies on AI governance. Currently, he serves as the Founding Editor-in-Chief of Cambridge Forum on Technology and Global Affairs (Cambridge University Press). 

Prior to joining City University of Hong Kong, Professor Zeng established his academic career in the UK. At 31, he was appointed Professor of China and International Studies at Lancaster University, becoming one of the youngest full professors in Britain. Simultaneously, he served as Director of its Confucius Institute, leading a team of nearly 30 staff in the university. Under his guidance, the Institute flourished into an award-winning institution, receiving the prestigious Confucius Institute of the Year award from the Confucius Institute Headquarters, as well as Lancaster University's Outstanding Contribution Award. During this time, the Institute also overcame unprecedented challenges, including the global pandemic, the sudden dissolution of the Confucius Institute Headquarters, and a political campaign by the then-ruling UK government to close Confucius Institutes. These remarkable experiences are chronicled in his forthcoming three-volume memoir, Memoirs of a Confucius Institute Director, with the first volume released in August 2025.

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