Translated by ChatGPT, edited by Sinocism.com.

Source: People's Daily | Byline: Zhong Sheng 钟声 | September 16, 2026

Artificial intelligence is a new frontier of human development. It is not the preserve of major powers, and still less should it become an arena for zero-sum games.

人工智能是人类发展的新领域，不是大国的专利，更不应沦为零和博弈的角斗场

Recently, the U.S. National Security Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Federal Bureau of Investigation jointly issued an advisory accusing Chinese artificial-intelligence companies of carrying out “industrial-scale” distillation against the United States to acquire the capabilities of leading U.S. models, and recommending related defensive measures to U.S. companies. This U.S. accusation has no factual or legal basis. In essence, it politicizes and instrumentalizes distillation—a normal technical and commercial issue in the industry—while applying double standards in practice. It once again exposes the United States’ familiar logic of pursuing technological hegemony, monopolizing computing power, and suppressing competition in the field of artificial intelligence. China firmly opposes this.

近日，美国国家安全局、网络安全与基础设施安全局、联邦调查局联合发布公告，指责中国人工智能企业对美开展“工业规模”蒸馏，获取美前沿模型能力，并向美企提出相关防御措施建议。美方这一指控于事无凭、于法无据，本质是将蒸馏这一业内正常的技术和商业问题政治化、工具化，并在实践中搞双重标准，再次暴露其在人工智能领域推行科技霸权、搞算力垄断、打压竞争的一贯逻辑，中方对此坚决反对。

Distillation is a common practice through which models in the artificial-intelligence field learn from one another. It is, in essence, a neutral technical method used by model developers around the world, including U.S. companies. By using a high-performing “teacher model” to guide a lighter-weight “student model,” distillation can improve model-training efficiency and make more efficient use of human knowledge. It has positive significance for countries seeking to develop their artificial-intelligence industries, unlock technological potential, bridge development gaps, and bring broader benefits to developing countries and the public.

蒸馏是人工智能领域各个模型间互相学习的通行做法，本质是中性技术手段，包括美企在内的全球模型企业都在使用。通过性能优异的“教师模型”指导更轻量的“学生模型”，蒸馏技术能够提升模型训练效率，实现人类知识的更高效利用，对各国发展人工智能产业、释放技术潜力、弥补发展鸿沟、更广泛惠及发展中国家和社会大众具有积极意义。

China encourages open source and openness, cooperation and sharing. It makes open-source models available to companies around the world, including U.S. companies, facilitating related model research and development. Reports on model development by U.S. companies have also disclosed that they extensively distill Chinese models. By the United States’ logic, when American companies use distillation it is “common industry practice,” but when Chinese companies use it, it is an “attack.” This is a blatant double standard.

中方鼓励开源开放、合作共享，向包括美企在内的全球企业开放开源模型，为相关模型研发提供便利。美企有关模型研发报告也披露，其大量蒸馏中国模型。按照美方的逻辑，美国企业使用蒸馏便是“行业通行做法”，中国企业运用便是“攻击行为”，这是赤裸裸的双重标准。

By elevating a common industry practice into a national-security issue, the United States is using the pretext of combating distillation to pursue industrial monopoly. Some U.S. artificial-intelligence companies have long abused their competitive advantages, inserting overbroad geographic restrictions and other onerous terms into their user agreements in an attempt to exclude competitors from countries including China from the global technology ecosystem and monopolize the gains from artificial-intelligence development. In this instance, U.S. security agencies directly issued the advisory, binding the interests of particular companies and capital to national security and using coercive state institutions to interfere in normal commercial activities. This unquestionably amounts to an endorsement of those onerous terms. For some time, the U.S. executive and legislative branches have repeatedly threatened sanctions and suppression against Chinese companies, with restrictions extending step by step from chip controls and computing-power blockades to areas such as model access. The United States is willing to mobilize state power to preserve technological hegemony and a monopoly over computing power. At root, this reflects deep anxiety over the possible loss of its technological hegemony and the same hegemonic logic that “only the United States may win alone; humanity may not win together.”

美方将行业通行做法上升为国家安全问题，是以打击蒸馏为名，行产业垄断之实。长期以来，美国个别人工智能企业滥用竞争优势地位，在用户协议中设置宽泛的地域限制等霸王条款，试图将中国等国家的竞争者排除在全球技术生态之外，独占人工智能发展红利。此次美方由安全部门直接发布公告，将个别企业和资本利益与国家安全相捆绑，动用国家强权机构干涉正常商业活动，无疑是为这些霸王条款背书。一段时期以来，美国行政、立法机关频频发出对中国企业的制裁打压威胁，限制措施从芯片管制、算力封锁一步步延伸到模型访问等领域。美方不惜动用国家力量维护科技霸权和算力垄断，根源在于对自身技术霸权旁落的深层焦虑，奉行的依然是“只能美国独赢，不能人类共赢”的霸权逻辑。

However, blockades and containment have never been able to stop the advance of scientific and technological progress. The development of artificial intelligence in China is the result of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening, and it has also benefited from China’s consistent commitment to consultation, joint contribution, shared benefits, openness, and cooperation. In recent years, Chinese artificial-intelligence companies have continued to make solid progress in areas including foundational algorithms, computing-power deployment, and application scenarios. Drawing on a complete industrial system and abundant application scenarios, they have continually lowered the barriers to developing and applying artificial-intelligence technology, breaking through the high-cost barriers built by a small number of U.S. companies through massive capital and computing power. Denis Simon, a senior fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, has said that the United States should not view openness and security as a zero-sum game, and that attempts to maintain its lead by building high walls in the technology sector will ultimately prove counterproductive.

然而，封堵遏制从来阻挡不了科技进步的步伐。中国人工智能的发展是高水平科技自立自强的成果，也得益于中方始终秉持共商共建共享和开放合作理念。近年来，中国人工智能企业在基础算法、算力布局、场景应用等领域持续取得扎实进展，依靠完整产业体系和丰富应用场景，不断降低人工智能技术的开发与应用门槛，打破少数美国企业靠资本与算力堆砌的高价壁垒。美国昆西治国方略研究所高级研究员丹尼斯·西蒙就曾表示，美国不应将开放与安全视为零和博弈，试图靠在科技领域筑起高墙维持领先，最终只会适得其反。

Artificial intelligence is a new frontier of human development. It is not the preserve of major powers, and still less should it become an arena for zero-sum games. The global large-model industry is now at a critical stage of technological iteration, mounting risks, growth, and development. As major artificial-intelligence powers, China and the United States should address the challenges and risks in this field with a positive and responsible attitude. The two heads of state have agreed to conduct an intergovernmental dialogue on artificial intelligence. China is willing, on the principles of equality and mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, to hold constructive and professional discussions with the United States through dialogue and jointly promote open, inclusive, broadly beneficial AI development oriented toward the common good.

人工智能是人类发展的新领域，不是大国的专利，更不应沦为零和博弈的角斗场。当前，全球大模型产业正处于技术迭代、风险迭发、成长发展的关键时期。中美作为人工智能大国，应以积极负责态度处理该领域面临的挑战和风险。两国元首已同意开展人工智能政府间对话，中方愿以平等互利、合作共赢原则，通过对话与美方开展建设性和专业讨论，共同推动人工智能开放、包容、普惠、向善发展。

It is hoped that the United States will meet China halfway, manage risks through dialogue and communication, and work together to create an open, equal, fair, and nondiscriminatory environment for artificial-intelligence development, so that artificial-intelligence technology benefits all humanity. But if the United States uses combating distillation as a pretext to take action to contain and suppress Chinese artificial-intelligence companies and harm China’s legitimate and lawful rights and interests, China will resolutely adopt countermeasures.

希望美方与中方相向而行，通过对话和沟通管控风险，共同营造开放、平等、公平、非歧视的人工智能发展环境，推动人工智能技术造福全人类。但如果美方以打击蒸馏为名，实施遏压中国人工智能企业的行动，损害中方正当合法权益，中方必将坚决采取措施予以反制。