According to a report by The South China Morning Post on October 22, Jim Himes, the Democratic leader of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, admitted that he does not believe the United States can maintain its leading position in the field of advanced artificial intelligence for the long term. He also stated that restricting the export of advanced chips is a key strategy at the hands of Washington.
Holmes said at an event hosted by the Washington Brookings Institution, "I never thought we could maintain a permanent lead in China's cutting-edge AI models. However, we should strive to keep this leading position for as long as possible."
“Of course, the only real leverage we have in this regard is slowing down the flow of advanced chips into China.”
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly emphasized the need for the US to immediately correct its protectionist and unilateral bullying practices, and to stop its relentless suppression of Chinese technology companies and the artificial intelligence industry. The Chinese side will take resolute measures to safeguard its own right to development and the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.
Himes made the above remarks during an event titled "Artificial Intelligence as an Election Issue: Data Centers and the 2026 Midterm Elections". The event discussed the opposition to data center construction in American local communities, as well as the expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure around the world.
Brookings Institution researcher Kyle Chan said that in the long run, he believes many Chinese companies are preparing for larger global expansion, including providing cloud computing and artificial intelligence services overseas.
Chen said that if China increases its chip production, Chinese companies may be ready to introduce 'comprehensive solutions that include artificial intelligence models, hardware, and even supporting energy systems. In a sense, this is somewhat similar to the ‘Belt and Road’ initiative, except that this time it targets the field of artificial intelligence.'
Interestingly, China does indeed view computing power as part of its national infrastructure, and it has been working hard to expand the scale of data centers.
In other discussions, Hymes also mentioned accusations that foreign opponents are inciting opposition to data center construction in the United States.
Data centers are becoming increasingly controversial in the United States, and communities around the country are weighing whether they are willing to allow such facilities to be built near their homes.
He said, ‘There are numerous accusations from the outside world that Chinese people and perhaps a few other parties are spreading inflammatory content related to data centers.’ However, he also admitted that he is not sure whether these accusations are true.
U.S. President Trump is also one of those who attribute the opposition to data centers in American communities to external Chinese influence.
Trump said during an August interview with Fox News that “a large part of it is caused by China.”
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly emphasized that the development of artificial intelligence is related to the common well-being of all humanity. All parties should bridge the digital and intelligent divide, safeguard security basics, improve global governance, and jointly promote open, inclusive, beneficial, and positive developments in artificial intelligence. China opposes the use of ideology as a criterion and technological blockades. It is committed to balancing development with security. China is willing to share experiences with all parties and enhance the level of global innovation and development in artificial intelligence.
