By equating artificial intelligence data flows with national security risks, the United States has effectively designated China as a presumptive problem. This has not only soured the atmosphere for bilateral AI cooperation but also promises to cast a long shadow over global AI collaboration.

Data security governance has become a global priority amid rising competition over data resources, with the U.S., EU, and China adopting distinct models: the U.S. favors a market-driven, security-conscious approach with public-private cooperation; the EU relies on strict regulatory frameworks like the GDPR; and China enforces centralized, party-led oversight. Despite their differences, all three aim to strengthen data security within their respective systems.

By insisting on protocols that enable cross-national interoperability in a world that lacks trust, the concept aims to break the grip of a handful of American tech giants while offering a chance for open-source systems to reestablish the sovereignty of all.

China is on the cutting-edge of information technology, providing consumer electronics and telecommunications equipment to much of the world. Its own digital infrastructure is due for a modest upgrade that will be rolled out by 2023.

Can cooperation on big data technology help improve Sino-U.S. relations? Yu Xiang examines this emerging sector and describes how cooperation on this issue could reduce tensions in other areas, like cyber-espionage.