The Chinese ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, has accused Australia of "politicizing" trade and technological issues by banning government agencies from using the Chinese artificial intelligence app DeepSeek. This ban has heightened tensions in bilateral relations between the two countries after a period of relative calm.
According to Qian, Australia abuses the concept of "national security," using this excuse to veto the use of DeepSeek. In an article published in The Australian, the Chinese ambassador expressed that China places a high priority on data security in the development of artificial intelligence and assured that it will never request illegal data collection or storage.
The Australian Government justified its decision to ban the installation and use of DeepSeek by arguing that it poses an "unacceptable risk" to Australia's national security. In response, the Chinese ambassador urged Australia to collaborate with China in technological development and to build an artificial intelligence space that is open, inclusive, equitable, secure, and non-discriminatory.
Tensions between the two countries have further escalated with the presence of three Chinese warships 565 kilometers off the coast of Perth, diverting dozens of flights and leading to military maneuvers that have been a source of dispute and criticism between the two nations. China accuses Australia of exaggerating and violating international norms, while Australia points to China for lack of notice and transparency in its operations.
These conflicts arise after a brief period of détente in relations between Australia and China, during which they had agreed to eliminate tariffs imposed by the Asian giant in response to an investigation driven by the Australian Government into the origins of the covid-19 pandemic.
