China’s Global Times Slams Anthropic CEO’s AI Slowdown Plan as ‘Cold War’ Strategy

China’s state-backed Global Times has criticized Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s proposal to slow the development of advanced artificial intelligence, arguing that the initiative reflects a U.S. “Cold War playbook” aimed at restricting China’s AI ambitions.

Amodei published an essay on Saturday proposing a framework to pace frontier AI development, giving governments and technology companies more time to address growing AI safety risks. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX founder Elon Musk later endorsed the broader push.

However, Amodei also called for tighter U.S. chip export controls targeting China and stronger action against alleged model distillation by Chinese AI laboratories. Speaking to CBS News on Sunday, he said the “toughest dilemma” would arise if China and other U.S. adversaries refused to slow their own AI development.

The Global Times argued that these proposals reveal a broader effort to constrain China through technological restrictions and regulatory barriers while preserving Washington’s dominance in advanced technology.

Calling the approach a “silent AI Cold War,” the newspaper warned that excluding China from global AI governance and innovation could increase development risks and make it more difficult to manage potentially dangerous AI systems.

The debate comes as U.S. lawmakers consider stronger rules for artificial intelligence. Concerns have intensified following warnings from Anthropic researchers that rapidly advancing AI systems could eventually pose severe risks to humanity.

President Donald Trump rejected calls for slowing AI development on Sunday, saying concerns were being exaggerated by “very negative forces.” Trump emphasized the strategic importance of maintaining America’s AI advantage over China, declaring that “whoever wins AI wins.”

AI safety could soon become another major topic in U.S.-China relations. Washington and Beijing are expected to discuss frontier AI safety risks in mid-September, according to sources. The issue could also emerge during a planned September 24 summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping as competition over AI technology, semiconductor controls and global governance intensifies.