DistantNews
Support us
🇰🇷 South Korea /Technology

China invited South Korean high-level officials to Xi's pet AI conference

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • China repeatedly invited high-level South Korean officials to the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, which President Xi Jinping champions.
  • South Korea ultimately sent only mid-level officials, citing complex considerations amid intensifying US-China competition in AI and semiconductors.
  • The situation highlights South Korea's delicate balancing act between US-led tech alliances and China's demands for cooperation.

China extended multiple invitations to high-ranking South Korean government officials for the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) held in Shanghai from September 17-20. President Xi Jinping heavily promoted the event. However, South Korea decided to send only mid-level representatives, specifically the science and technology attaché at the South Korean embassy in China and an AI-focused official.

The Chinese side asked for higher-level participation from our side than in previous years.

— South Korean government officialExplaining China's request for senior attendance at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference.

A source familiar with South Korea-China relations confirmed China's repeated requests for senior attendance via its embassy. "The Chinese side asked for higher-level participation from our side than in previous years," a South Korean government official stated. "China emphasized its desire to cooperate with us on AI, but we had to consider other aspects."

This invitation highlights South Korea's difficult position. As a leader in semiconductors and AI, the nation faces pressure from both the US and China to align with their respective technological agendas. The US, under the Trump administration, has recently imposed regulations on foreign access to advanced AI models, citing national security concerns, although some restrictions have since been eased.

China emphasized its desire to cooperate with us on AI, but we had to consider other aspects.

— South Korean government officialExplaining the decision to send mid-level officials instead of high-level ones.

South Korea's participation in US-led technological frameworks like "Pax Silika," recent trilateral cooperation on small modular reactors with the US and Japan, and the "Strategic Minerals Forum" (FORGE) weigh on its decisions. "The US and China are competing for AI dominance, forcing us to continuously consider how to approach AI industry and international cooperation," another government official noted. "While we are not rushing to pick a side, we cannot ignore our technological cooperation with the United States."

The US and China are competing for AI dominance, forcing us to continuously consider how to approach AI industry and international cooperation.

— South Korean government officialDescribing the geopolitical pressures influencing South Korea's AI strategy.

During his opening address on September 17, Xi Jinping outlined China's ambition to lead in AI technology and international rule-setting. He called for AI development to be a "symphony" of international cooperation rather than a "solo performance" by one nation, implicitly challenging US influence. China also established the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) on September 16, gathering 29 countries to counter the Western-centric AI order.

AI development should be a symphony of international cooperation, not a solo performance by one nation.

— Xi JinpingDuring his opening address at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, signaling China's approach to global AI governance.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog