China Balances AI Growth With Tight Control

In late January, Xi Jinping told Communist Party officials that artificial intelligence is an 'epoch-making' technology but warned it must not 'spiral out of control,' signaling a national push to accelerate AI while containing risks. Chinese firms such as Zhipu (recently valued at over $6 billion in a Hong Kong filing) face extensive compliance burdens as regulators emphasize information control, data protection, and sector-specific draft rules.