How ‘policy convergence’ could pave the way for US-China cooperation on AI

South China Morning Post · Feb 14, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is a battleground for the United States and China, but it can also be an area for dialogue and cooperation on regulation and global governance, according to researchers in Hong Kong and Singapore.The team highlighted “policy convergence” on AI at the local level and challenged the “conventional and stereotypical” expectations of policy models in China and the United States that mainly focused on divergence.“Despite fierce competition between the two AI superpowers, policy convergence keeps open the possibility of future cooperation and negotiation, particularly on issues of global significance, such as AI governance and safety and security management,” the researchers said in a paper published in the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis in November.The study involved a team from Polytechnic University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, as well as the National University of Singapore.China and the US have been locked in an intense rivalry over AI – a technology set to have a disruptive impact on society. The competition goes beyond innovation to encompass economic power, national security, military capabilities, and global influence.03:16China shows off latest AI innovations at international conference in ShanghaiChina shows off latest AI innovations at international conference in ShanghaiAccording to the paper, a prevailing “one-sided perspective” often characterises AI policy models in China and the US as “strictly binary”.