Beijing vows to take action if Washington tries to contain China’s firms, as tensions over advanced AI systems heat up before expected Xi-Trump meeting
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenMinxiao Changin ShenzhenPublished: 5:35pm, 16 Sep 2026Updated: 5:39pm, 16 Sep 2026China’s ruling Communist Party mouthpiece has rejected US allegations that Chinese artificial intelligence companies conducted “industrial-scale” distillation of American frontier models, warning that Beijing would respond if Washington continued to suppress China’s AI industry.
In a commentary published on Wednesday, People’s Daily said the US claims were “without factual or legal basis” and accused Washington of “politicising” a normal technical and commercial practice.
The strong stance came just a week before an expected meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump on September 24, where AI may emerge as a key point of dialogue.
The newspaper called for the two sides to “work towards a common goal, and manage risks through dialogue and communication”, and it warned that Beijing would take “countermeasures” if Washington used the allegations as a pretext to contain Chinese companies.
