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China, Kimi K 3 and WAICO: Can Beijing win the AI race and make the rules too?

Chatham House | 2026-09-02 | china_indopacific

Topics: AI, China, Indo-Pacific, Russia

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English Summary

China is pursuing a dual strategy to lead global AI governance by combining technological advancements with targeted diplomacy. The launch of powerful, open-weight models like Kimi K3 provides an attractive alternative to closed US systems, while China uses institutions like WAICO—whose founding members are exclusively from the Global South—to set international norms. Beijing's goal is to woo developing nations and establish rules that prioritize capacity building and human control over AI development. This strategy challenges existing Western dominance by offering a computationally efficient, accessible model framework for the Global South.

中文摘要

中國正採取雙軌戰略,透過結合技術進步與目標性外交,引領全球人工智慧治理。推出如 Kimi K3 等強大且權重開放(open-weight)的模型,為封閉的美國系統提供了具吸引力的替代方案;同時,中國利用像 WAICO 這樣的機構——其創設成員僅來自全球南方國家——來制定國際規範。北京的目標是吸引發展中國家,並建立一套優先考慮提升能力與人類主導權的 AI 發展規則。此戰略透過提供一個計算效率高、對全球南方國家可及的模型框架,挑戰了現有的西方主導地位。

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