AI & International Politics News — 2026-10-22 (Thu)

Overview

The US government moved to eliminate the Chinese-made AI ``DeepSeek,'' and China responded. On the other hand, on the occasion of the APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting in Hong Kong, China called on the countries of the Asia-Pacific region to harness the potential of AI, and has set its sights on building a relationship with Russia in the field of AI. In India, an international summit program in which Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to appear has been announced.

Competition between the US and China

The U.S. government has removed the Chinese-made AI ``DeepSeek,'' citing concerns about the leak of confidential information. In response, China expressed opposition (Jiji.com). The move by the US to eliminate DeepSeek was also reported in Japanese media, along with the announcement of Microsoft's surveillance AI (Nico Nico News). In terms of predictions, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt warned that ``China is gaining an advantage in the AI race with cheaper models'' (Quartz).

International organizations/international agreements

At the APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting held in Hong Kong, China called on Asia-Pacific economies to "fully unleash the potential of AI." This is a call (proposal), and the headline does not confirm whether an agreement on AI was reached at this meeting (Anadolu Ajansı, Azerbajan Report). Furthermore, the think tank Chatham House published an analysis asking, ``Can the UK lead coordination among mid-sized countries regarding AI?'' However, this is an institutional analysis and is not a consensus.

Diplomacy/Summits/Alliance

- APEC Finance Ministers Meeting (Hong Kong): A forum for discussions where China called for the use of AI. The heading does not indicate whether there is an agreement or not. - China and Russia: China's state-run China Daily reported that ``China and Russia are considering relations in AI and other cutting-edge fields.'' The heading indicates the stage at which cooperation is being considered, but does not indicate whether an agreement or signature has been reached. - Chatham House analysis: Discusses the possibility of AI collaboration between middle-power countries by the UK. This is an analytical article, not a conference.

Security/Military

No relevant information (The U.S. ban on DeepSeek is explained as an information security measure based on concerns about leaks of classified information, but there are no headlines that address the use of AI for defense purposes).

Election/information warfare

No applicable information

Export regulations and negotiations between countries

The United States took measures to remove the Chinese company's AI ``DeepSeek,'' citing concerns about leaking confidential information, and China responded. A Nigerian newspaper ran an article discussing ``Global Technology Wars and Nigeria's Place,'' but the headline did not indicate the specific human measures taken by a particular country against a particular country.

Japanese diplomacy and AI

No relevant information (there were no headlines that directly dealt with the Japanese government or Japan's diplomatic movements, and Japanese media coverage focused on US-China relations).

Remarks from VIPs

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi (India): NDTV released a video highlighting the highlights of NDTV World Summit 2026, highlighting Prime Minister Modi, Jaishankar, AI, and international power shift. This is a preview of the program/event, and the contents of the Prime Minister's own remarks have not yet been shown. - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: No applicable information - President Emmanuel Macron (France): No applicable information

Integrated analysis: How are international relations moving?

From this headline, we can see that the U.S.'s exclusionary measures are changing the direction of China's diplomacy. Immediately after the U.S. government banned DeepSeek due to concerns about the leak of confidential information, China called on each economy in the Asia-Pacific region to utilize AI at the APEC forum, and reported that it is considering a relationship with Russia in cutting-edge fields, including AI. In response to the unilateral step of exclusion, China has made calls and built relationships with multiple countries, and China's choices have cast a shadow on both the APEC forum and China-Russia relations.

At the same time, Schmidt's view that ``China has an advantage with cheap models'' confirms the competitive perception behind the US exclusion measures. Discussions over the possibility of UK middle-power adjustment (Chatham House) and Nigeria's position indicate that middle-power and emerging countries outside of the US-China binary structure are reconsidering their position.

There are two points on which Japanese companies and governments should change their decisions. First, the fact that the U.S. government has excluded Chinese-made AI due to concerns about leaking confidential information will cause Japanese government agencies and companies to reconsider their safety evaluation standards when adopting Chinese-made AI products. Second, China's calls for the use of AI at the APEC forum and Mr. Schmidt's view of the price competitiveness of the Chinese model will both serve as a basis for Japan's decision-making in determining AI procurement sources and discipline within a multilateral framework.

Future points of interest

- Whether China's call for the use of AI at the APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting in Hong Kong will lead to a multi-country agreement or joint document. - Whether China will take further countermeasures against the U.S.'s removal of DeepSeek, and whether cooperation in the AI field between China and Russia will materialize from the consideration stage. - What Prime Minister Modi said at NDTV World Summit 2026 and India's position on international power relations regarding AI.