China refuses to sign "Blueprint for action" at REAIM as enemies close in on China

On September 10, China along with 30 other countries officially denied signing the blueprint for action presented during the REAIM summit.

Military prowess has never been more important for China, who is currently surrounded by enemies who are coming from all directions; Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, and the U.S are all aiming for the head of China, and signing this treaty would be equivocal to China disarming itself right before a war.

Risks assessment to manage the use of AI

The blueprint that was presented during this year's summit was focused on action, reflecting advanced discussions and developments in military AI, such as Ukraine's use of AI-enabled drones.

The blueprint outlines key measures like risk assessments, human control, and confidence-building initiatives to manage the risks of AI in military applications. Additionally, it emphasizes the need to prevent AI from contributing to the spread of weapons of mass destruction, including by terrorist groups, and stresses maintaining human oversight in nuclear weapon deployment.

Other efforts, such as the U.S. government's declaration on the responsible use of AI in the military, align with the blueprint’s goals. The Seoul summit, co-hosted by the Netherlands, Singapore, Kenya, and the United Kingdom, aims to foster ongoing, balanced discussions involving multiple stakeholders.

China preparing itself for a major geopolitical war

The Chinese delegation, led by Ma Shengkun, Deputy Director General of The Department of Arms control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry explained at the summit that the effect of the military empowerment of AI carries significant implications for international peace and security. Therefore countries, especially the major powers, should adopt a prudent and responsible attitude when utilizing relevant technologies, while effectively respecting the security concerns of other countries, avoiding misperception and miscalculation, and preventing arms race.

The Chinese FM spokesperson Mao Ning also added that the delegation elaborated on China's principles of AI governance: adopt a prudent and responsible attitude, adhere to the principles of developing AI for good, take a people-centred approach, implement agile governance and uphold multilateralism, which were well recognized by other parties.

China is essentially saying that different countries are facing different situations, and it would be impossible to subject all the countries to the same regulation here. Thus, China is refusing to sign the agreement.

Given the current situation China is in, with so many things at stake, it isn't hard to see why this agreement is completely ridiculous for China's current situation.

The countries who have signed the agreement include many of China's arch enemies, like Japan, the US. Of course, these countries would want to disarm China so they can forward their own personal agenda. And if China were to sign the agreement, then it would have lost all of its geopolitical dominance that it is currently exerting in Asia.

What is next?

With 30 countries disagreeing with the agreement, it would make me wonder "what is next?" The answer is that there is still no answer.

"We must be realistic that not everyone will be on board," Brekelmans said. "How do we handle non-compliance? This is a complex issue that also needs attention."

The next summit’s venue and date are still being discussed, but South Korean officials plan to bring the AI blueprint to the UN General Assembly in October for further discussion.

Giacomo Persi Paoli, Head of Programme Security and Technology at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), stressed the importance of engagement between summits to reduce risks. "The blueprint is a step forward," he said, "but moving too quickly risks alienating many countries from participating."