China’s Foreign Ministry: Spreading Narratives Portraying AI as a Threat Serves No Party’s Interests
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on September 14 that spreading narratives portraying AI as a threat does not serve the interests of any party.
A reporter asked: Not long ago, Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and others called on artificial intelligence companies to slow down the development of frontier technologies. Amodei said that China’s continued lead in artificial intelligence would pose a risk to U.S. national security. What is the Foreign Ministry’s comment on this?
“AI development concerns the common well-being of all humanity. All parties should work together to promote AI that is open, inclusive, beneficial to all, and used for good. Spreading various narratives about threats, engaging in confrontation and vicious competition, will only disrupt the global AI governance process and serve no party’s interests,” Guo said.
{Editor’s Note: This statement could suggest that China does not intend to slow its development of frontier AI technologies even if the United States chooses to do so.}
Source: Xinhua, September 14, 2026
https://www.news.cn/world/20260914/a3d886e5ebeb4307af30bf71df511550/c.html
China’s State Security Minister Warns of Six AI Security Risks; Political and Ideological Security Ranked No. 1
Chen Yixin, head of China’s Ministry of State Security, published an article under his name warning that the rapid development and deployment of AI presents significant risks to China’s national security. Chen said AI is reshaping the global economy, power structure, innovation, and social governance, and argued that China must seize the opportunities while establishing safeguards against emerging threats.
Chen identified six major areas of concern:
- Systematic threat to China’s political and ideological security. As of June 2026, China had more than 500 million AI-product users, with daily token usage exceeding 140 trillion. Chen warned that hostile forces and others with ulterior motives could misuse generative AI technologies—including deepfake audio and video, AI-generated text and images, and automated online accounts—to cheaply and rapidly produce political rumors, spread harmful information, and incite social division, using “public opinion warfare” and “cognitive warfare” to directly threaten China’s political, institutional, and ideological security.
- AI-enabled cyberattacks that could automate vulnerability discovery and malicious software development.
- Increased risks of espionage, data theft, and personal-information leakage.
- Technology controls and closed ecosystems that could widen disparities in global AI development.
- Disruptions to social governance caused by algorithmic bias, data poisoning, and unclear accountability.
- Fundamental transformation of military warfare as AI becomes increasingly involved in intelligence analysis, decision-making, target identification, and battlefield operations.
Chen proposed seven measures to strengthen AI governance:
- Maintain Party leadership.
- Improve cross-government coordination.
- Strengthen risk monitoring and early-warning systems.
- Increase research into core AI technologies and computing chips.
- Improve legal safeguards.
- Expand public education on AI security risks.
- Deepen international cooperation.
Source: People’s Forum, September 14, 2026
https://www.rmlt.com.cn/2026/0914/755773.shtml
Beijing Imposes Total Ban on Drones
Beijing has escalated its already strict drone regulations to an unprecedented level, announcing a comprehensive ban on flying, storing, and transporting drones anywhere within the city’s administrative boundaries. The new rule takes effect November 15.
Under the regulation, the entire municipality is designated a no-drone zone. No individual or organization may fly, possess, store, or transport drones or their core components within Beijing. Anyone who has previously stored drone equipment in the city must relocate it outside Beijing before the deadline. Residents who own drones can either carry them out of the city themselves or use buyback and disposal services the city is offering. Those who fail to comply face confiscation and fines.
Beijing had already banned drone flights without special permits and, since May 2026, banned drone sales within its jurisdiction, requiring real-name registration for existing owners. The new rule goes further by eliminating even private possession.
Drones have become widely popular in China in recent years, used both by tourists for recreation and by professionals for work. Andrew Yang, a former U.S. defense official now at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said the total ban reflects how politically sensitive the issue is for Beijing and how central it is to the Communist Party’s pursuit of absolute security.
The move follows a rare incident on June 26, when a light tourist aircraft struck one of Beijing’s tallest skyscrapers, killing the pilot and injuring 13 people, raising concerns about security gaps. Analysts also note the ban comes a year before the Communist Party’s 21st National Congress, with Zhongnanhai—the seat of China’s top party and government leadership—located in central Beijing, heightening pressure to guarantee absolute safety for leaders.
Source: Radio France International, September 14, 2026
https://rfi.my/D2xO
CCP Advisor: China’s Population Decline Is Such a Serious Issue That It Cannot Wait
Jin Canrong (金灿荣) is a Chinese international relations scholar who serves as an advisor to senior Chinese Communist Party officials. He recently published an article warning Chinese officials that the country’s population decline and aging problems are becoming increasingly severe:
China’s population decline is a “slow-changing” issue whose full impact may not become apparent for several years, but it has already become increasingly urgent. China’s competition with the West is not just with the 300 million people in the United States, but with roughly 1 billion people across the West. Population is an extremely important strategic resource. Governments at all levels should strengthen their sense of urgency, increase policy support, and improve implementation to slow the population decline.
The seriousness of population loss can be seen in the three northeastern provinces and Inner Mongolia, where some cities with populations of around 1 million reportedly have only several hundred births a year, while once-busy commercial districts have become deserted. China’s population is also aging, with statistics showing that the median age reached 41.98 in 2025, which could have significant effects on the country’s economic and social development.
China’s large population base has contributed to its talent and engineering advantages. While many skilled workers are developed through education and training, a large population provides a broader base from which talent can emerge. Without a sufficiently large number of newborns, maintaining a large pool of highly capable talent could become more difficult.
Social awareness of China’s population challenges has grown in recent years, but current government measures remain relatively moderate and should be strengthened. Addressing the underlying causes of population decline would require substantial financial and other resources, but the cost will be even bigger if we delay our actions.
Source: Guancha, September 7, 2026
https://user.guancha.cn/main/content?id=1731571
Report Alleges Internal Censorship at China’s CGTN
A new report by the Europe-based rights group Safeguard Defenders, released September 10, 2026, details internal censorship and propaganda practices at China Global Television Network (CGTN), based on interviews with eight former employees conducted in 2022–2023. All spoke anonymously; some still have family in China.
The 29-page report, “China’s Party-State Global TV in Focus,” covers forced televised confessions, internal newsroom operations, “telling China’s story well” campaigns, and content-control mechanisms. One former scriptwriter recalled that footage of Hong Kong consulate employee Simon Cheng’s 2019 “confession” arrived just before airtime, with orders from above to broadcast it regardless of staff objections. Cheng later said he was tortured and coerced into recording multiple confessions while detained by Chinese police. The report says CGTN and its predecessor aired at least nine such confessions between 2013 and 2019, including British businessman Peter Humphrey and Hong Kong bookseller Gui Minhai.
A Chinese law lecturer told Radio Free Asia that televised confessions amount to compelled self-incrimination, violating basic principles of criminal justice, especially when made without legal counsel or freely given consent.
Former staff also described heavy scripting of coverage, with one estimating three-quarters of programming centered on Xi Jinping, and describing extensive advance-prepared news meetings and scripted teleprompter delivery, with punishment for deviation. Coverage of Xinjiang was cited by one former employee as the reason for leaving CGTN, amid increased reporting after 2018 framing mass detention facilities as “vocational training centers.”
CGTN states on its website that it adheres to principles of objectivity and balance. A Safeguard Defenders researcher said the report shows CGTN remains under direct Chinese Communist Party control despite denials, using its programming to advance Party propaganda and political aims.
Source: Radio Free Asia, September 10, 2026
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/zhengzhi/renquan/2026/09/10/china-safeguard-defenders-televised-confessions-censorship-cgtn/
China Launches International Earth-Moon CubeSat Constellation Program
China has officially launched an international Earth-Moon CubeSat constellation program aimed at working with multiple countries to deploy satellites in the Earth-Moon system for space-environment monitoring, gamma-ray burst detection, and lunar resource exploration. The initial plan calls for completing the constellation’s deployment around 2030.
The first phase will deploy 30 12U CubeSats, each weighing no more than 30 kilograms, in six batches into a 1:3 Earth-Moon resonant highly elliptical orbit. Multi-satellite observations are expected to improve space-weather monitoring and enable gamma-ray bursts to be localized to sub-arcsecond precision.
Jointly initiated by the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory and the International Deep Space Exploration Society, with support from the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization, the program will follow the principles of joint design, free launch opportunities, shared funding, and scientific data sharing. China will provide standardized payloads, technical training, and interface standards to participating countries. Multiple foreign research institutions have already joined the program, and first-phase engineering development has begun.
Source: People’s Daily, September 7, 2026
https://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/pc/content/202609/07/content_30179441.html
Xi Jinping’s Health Questioned During BRICS Summit in New Delhi
Questions about Xi Jinping’s health emerged during the BRICS Summit in New Delhi after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi briefly interrupted his opening remarks on September 12 to ask Xi twice, “Is it OK?” Footage broadcast by India’s Doordarshan showed a staff member approaching Xi and handing him something, although it was unclear what had happened. The incident nevertheless triggered online speculation about Xi’s health. Some Indian media reports offered an alternative explanation, suggesting that it could have been related to a microphone or translation issue.
Independent commentator Xiang Yang made another observation, saying that Xi appeared to have difficulty walking up the aircraft stairs when leaving India. He described Xi as showing apparent weakness on the left side of his body. Xiang speculated that this could indicate damage to the right side of the brain, which controls movement on the left side of the body. This was Xiang Yang’s speculation and has not been medically confirmed.
Source: Epoch Times, September 14, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/9/14/n14849131.htm
Modi Targets China’s Trade Practices in Push for Greater BRICS Market Access
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on BRICS members to reduce trade barriers, expand market access, and strengthen supply-chain stability at the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi on September 11. He said that over the past 12 years, India has focused on resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainable development in its economic and trade policies, while seeking to diversify and strengthen supply chains in areas including energy and technology.
Modi said that as global trade barriers increase, India is “building economic bridges,” noting that it has reached or advanced free-trade agreements with about 40 countries since 2014. He urged the BRICS Business Council to identify and address 10 major trade barriers among member countries, help 100 BRICS startups enter other BRICS markets each year, and promote 1,000 new business partnerships among BRICS companies.
Indian media linked Modi’s remarks to longstanding trade and supply-chain issues between India and China. The Times of India reported that Modi’s push to expand intra-BRICS trade also reflected India’s calls for greater Chinese market access for Indian goods and for China to avoid “weaponizing” supplies of equipment and raw materials needed by Indian manufacturers. Although India-China economic ties have recently improved, market access, trade imbalances, and supply-chain issues remain areas of concern. Reuters reported that bilateral trade reached $155.6 billion in 2025, with India importing about $132 billion from China and running a trade deficit of more than $100 billion.
Source: Epoch Times, September 13, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/9/13/n14848562.htm