China’s tech breakthroughs – including in artificial intelligence – have been front and centre at this year’s “two sessions” political event in Beijing, with senior officials, lawmakers and advisers highlighting the opportunities and challenges brought by the technology.
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The discussions come as hi-tech competition has intensified between China and the United States, which has imposed sanctions on China’s hi-tech sectors.
Asked about the rivalry on Friday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters that there had been “unjustified external suppression” but “when there are blockades, there are breakthroughs”.
Wang added that China had made rapid progress on its ambition of becoming a technology leader and was willing to share the results of its innovation with other countries.
Tech, and particularly AI, has dominated talking points and local media coverage of the annual meetings of the top legislature and political advisory body – the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) – that began on Tuesday.
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