The common Western argument that regulating AI is futile because "China will never slow down" is a misconception. China's government and research community actively engage with AI safety, even implementing policies that have slowed down their own companies in the name of safety.

The US-China AI race is not a simple sprint. It's more like a bicycle peloton where the US, as the front-runner, does the heavy lifting of innovation. This means a unilateral US slowdown for regulatory purposes would likely decelerate the entire pack, including China, rather than simply handing it an easy lead.

The argument that US AI regulation will cede leadership to China is flawed. China's AI progress often follows and copies US breakthroughs. By slowing the cutting edge in the US, we would also inherently slow the global pace of development, including in China.

The rush to regulate AI in the US, driven by panic, is strategically dangerous. Because AI development is a global race, if the US slows down with poorly designed rules while China accelerates, it effectively cedes the most important technological advantage of the century.

Contrary to fears that U.S. regulation cedes ground to China, the CCP has strong self-interested reasons to regulate AI. It is highly concerned with internal stability and control, cracking down on AI-driven social disruption and the risk of domestic cyberattacks, independent of Western policy.

Contrary to the argument that regulation stifles innovation, China has implemented extensive AI regulations over the past four years. During this same period, its AI technology has made significant inroads, challenging the notion that a laissez-faire approach is essential for competitiveness.

Contrary to fears that U.S. regulation creates a competitive disadvantage, China's track record, like crushing its AI companion sector over risk concerns, indicates Beijing will also implement strong AI safety rules. This creates potential for U.S.-China alignment on safety.

While the U.S. stalls on AI legislation, China is actively regulating it. This has led to significantly higher public trust and adoption in China (87% trust vs. 32% in the US), creating a more stable environment for AI development and deployment.

China is legislating against AI-driven labor issues like 'digital cloning,' which could foster public trust and accelerate AI adoption. Meanwhile, the US's hands-off policy is fueling popular backlash, leading to data center moratoriums and potentially slowing its own AI progress.