China’s Emerging AI Regulation Aims to Balance Safety and Openness

A group of researchers has provided an overview of China's emerging regulatory framework for artificial intelligence, describing how the country is developing guidelines that could influence global AI governance. The analysis highlights the growing presence of open-source AI systems from China, even as national laws remain under development.

Two draft proposals — the Model AI Law and the AI Law (Scholar’s Proposal) — are serving as key references for policymakers. These documents aim to consolidate fragmented rules and clarify responsibilities in AI oversight. Lawmakers are expected to use them as foundations for a unified national AI law.

The proposed regulatory framework is described as being built on six pillars that emphasize flexible legal exemptions, efficient adjudication, and experimental approaches, while ensuring safeguards against high-risk AI applications. The structure seeks to balance oversight with openness, enabling innovation and international collaboration.

Although the framework remains in progress, researchers suggest that China’s evolving model could help harmonize global approaches to AI safety and risk management, contributing to efforts to align innovation with responsible governance.