China Competence Training Center

The Promise and Perils of China's Regulation of Artificial Intelligence

In recent years, China has emerged as a pioneer in formulating some of the world’s earliest and most comprehensive regulations concerning artificial intelligence (AI) services. Thus far, much attention has focused on the restrictive nature of these rules, raising concerns that they might constrain Chinese AI development. This lecture draws attention to the expressive powers of Chinese AI legislation, particularly its information and coordination functions, to enable the AI industry. Recent legislative measures, such as the interim measures to regulate generative AI and various local AI legislation, offer little protective value to the Chinese public. Instead, these laws have sent a strong pro-growth signal to the industry while attempting to coordinate various stakeholders to accelerate technological progress. China’s strategically lenient approach to regulation may therefore offer its AI firms a short-term competitive advantage over their European and U.S. counterparts. However, such leniency risks creating potential regulatory lags that could escalate into AI-induced accidents and even disasters. The dynamic complexity of China’s regulatory tactics thus underscores the urgent need for increased international dialogue and collaboration with the country to tackle to safety challenges in AI governance.

Angela Huyue Zhang is a Professor of Law at the Gould School of Law of the University of Southern California. Widely recognized as a leading authority on Chinese tech regulation, Angela has written extensively on this topic. She is the author of "Chinese Antitrust Exceptionalism: How the Rise of China Challenges Global Regulation" published by the Oxford University Press in 2021. The book was named one of the Best Political Economy Books of the Year by ProMarket in 2021. Her second book, High Wire: How China Regulates Big Tech and Governs Its Economy, released in March 2024, has been covered in The New York Times, Bloomberg, Wire China, MIT Tech Review and many other international news outlets. Angela is currently teaching and conducting research on topics including the U.S.-China tech rivalry and the global regulation of artificial intelligence.

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Lecture Series: AI Governance in China

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming societies, economies, and political systems worldwide, and China is emerging as a central actor in shaping the governance of these technologies. This lecture series explores the multiple dimensions of AI governance in China, from state regulation and the role of AI in public administration to societal engagement with AI technologies.

Join us online and in person for six lectures featuring leading scholars, including: Jinghan Zeng (City University of Hong Kong), Hui Zhou and Genia Kostka (Freie Universität Berlin) and Angela Huyue Zhang (USC Gould School of Law), Eddie Yang (Purdue University), David Yang (Harvard University) and Jeffrey Ding (George Washington University).

Hosted by the Berlin Contemporary China Network (BCCN), the China Competence Training Center (CCTC) and SCRIPTS, the 2025/26 winter term lecture series is conceptualized by Prof. Dr. Genia Kostka and Anton Bogs from Freie Universität Berlin.