China firmly rejects the US accusations that Chinese companies are using the distillation method to copy American developments in the field of artificial intelligence. This was stated by Liu Chang, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, commenting on the claims made by US law enforcement and intelligence services about the systematic extraction of patented features from AI models of American companies. Distillation — the training of a simpler model based on the responses of a more complex one — is used in the industry as a standard optimization method, not as a copying tool, the diplomat emphasized.
Liu Chang called on the American side to respect the facts, abandon bias, and stop trying to hinder China’s scientific and technological development. He noted that using trade and technological issues for political purposes harms the global development of AI and is not in anyone’s interest. According to him, China is developing AI based on self‑sufficiency and strengthening its scientific and technical potential, rather than by copying others’ developments.
The development of AI in China, Liu Chang added, is aimed at benefiting the international community, and all countries should strive to adopt the same approach. Beijing opposes the politicization of technology and insists on cooperation rather than confrontation in the field of artificial intelligence, which should serve common progress rather than serve as a tool of pressure.
