Established on November 7, 2018, the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) of Tsinghua University is a think tank in the field of international security and strategy. CISS has two objectives: one is to follow the changes in global dynamics, offering policy suggestions for decision-making through researches on topics of international order, international relations...

From 2024 to 2025, the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue co-hosted a series of four dialogues between Chinese and European experts on the potential risks arising from the development of artificial intelligence technologies and their impact on international security.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are currently being widely applied in humanitarian action, offering significant potential to improve efficiency. However, they also bring potential security risks and challenges. Against this backdrop, the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), held the Symposium on the Responsible Use of Technology in Humanitarian Action in Beijing from December 4 to 5, 2025.

Based on these exchanges, this report focuses on exploring the possible pathways through which non-state actors may misuse AI, the associated risks, and the potential implications for international security. It also analyzes how these risks can be mitigated at both the national level and through international cooperation. The report aims to provide a reference for understanding this complex issue and to contribute constructive insights to ongoing policy discussions.

In Chinese literature, there is no established defi nition of “loss of control” in the context of artifi cial intelligence (AI). Generally, the notion of “loss of control” is understood as the opposite of control. In other words, once control is defi ned, any situation in which such a threshold is not reached constitutes a loss of control.

This Chinese Public Opinion on International Security in 2025 report is the third annual public opinion survey released by the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University over the past three years. Through this research and survey, we aim to continuously present to the world an “unfiltered” view of the latest perceptions and perspectives of Chinese respondents on international security issues.

On February 13-14, 2025, CISS of Tsinghua University and the Brookings Institution held the 12th round of the“China-U.S. Track 2 Dialogue on Artifi cial Intelligence and International Security” in Munich. During the Glossary Session, both sides proposed 20 AI risk-related terms for exchange, and then provided their respective definitions for nine of these terms to enhance mutual understanding of the potential security risks posed by artifi cial intelligence.

Donald Trump’s re-election at the end of 2024 reaffirmed the fundamental shift in the international order. Against this backdrop, the impacts of key factors such as the new U.S. administration’s bold shifts in domestic and foreign policy, the persistent slowdown in the global economy, and the potential escalation of geopolitical conflicts could combine to bring China to a critical turning point, where its external security environment undergoes signifcant change.

In 2023, the Center for International Security and Strategy, Tsinghua University (CISS) conductedthe inaugural “Chinese Outlook on International Security” survey study. Through the investigation,we found some important takeaways. For example, we found that Chinese people are generallyoptimistic about international security, and that they are highly supportive of globalization andopening up to the world. More importantly, we discovered that through the survey, we may be able toprovide more information about China to the rest of the world, presenting a “filter-free” picture ofChina.

The China-U.S. Track II Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence and International Security Project，initiated in October 2019 by the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University（CISS）and the Brookings Institution focuses on emerging issues in AI security governance. As of February 2024, the Project has conducted nine rounds of dialogues, yielding significant consensus and progress:

In 2023, the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) of Tsinghua University employed a detailed approach, combining the Delphi method and statistical analysis, to systematically assess the external security risks that could significantly impact China in the following year. This comprehensive study brought together 40 Chinese experts from diverse fields, including international relations, government, business, and media, to collaboratively identify and evaluate these risks.

By the end of 2023, the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) of Tsinghua University employed the Delphi method and the statistical analysis method for social sciences to identify and evaluate the external security risks that are projected to pose the greatest impact on China in the coming year.

As the world is standing at a historic crossroads, the international order is undergoing the most significant changes since the end of the Cold War, among which China is undoubtedly in the firing line. The rest of the world is now watching China with curious eyes full of hope, doubt or anxiety. What is China like? How do Chinese people view the world? How will China utilize its growing strength? China has been trying to answer these questions, but there are still many confusions, misunderstandings and misinterpretations in the outside world. To reduce the “information deficit” in the dialogue between China and the rest of the world, research institutions in China need to adopt scientific methods to present the world with a “filter-free” picture of China in a continuous, accurate and objective way.

On January 19, 2023, the Center for International Security and Strategy of Tsinghua University (CISS) issued the report titled External Security Risks for China in 2023.

Extant literature has not fully accounted for the changes underway in China’s perspectives on the ethical risks of artificial intelligence (AI). This article develops a community-of-practice (CoP) approach to the study of Chinese policymaking in the field of AI. It shows that the Chinese approach to ethical AI emerges from the communication of practices of a relatively stable group of actors from three domains—the government, academia, and the private sector. This Chinese CoP is actively cultivated and led by government actors. The paper draws attention to CoP config- urations during collective situated-learning and problem-solving among its members that inform the evolution of Chinese ethical concerns of AI. In so doing, it demonstrates how a practice-oriented approach can contri- bute to interpreting Chinese politics on AI governance.

The report you are reading is the result of a joint effort by the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS) and the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University. We have tried to examine the root causes, impacts and implications of the Russia-Ukraine conflict from the perspectives of international order, China-US relations, China-EU relations, China-Russia relations, arms control and world economy. As Beijing- and Shanghai-based think tanks on international studies, we hope to present diversified but balanced voices to the pertinent discussions in China, and to provide a Chinese voice to readers outside of China.

Scientists generally hold that the development of artificial intelligence (AI) is still at the stage of “weak AI” or “ANI”, which means the technology is only capable of fulfilling a certain task or addressing a specific issue.

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) is entering a new stage where it is integrated with various economic and social sectors faster, enables industrial upgrading, facilitates economic transition and drives social progress.

In the US, artificial intelligence (AI) policies emphasize to advance its proactive and visionary AI development and maintain its global leadership in key AI sectors, such as chips, operating systems and other computer sectors as well as finance, militar

With the large collection of personal data by various intelligent devices and intelligent systems, data security risk has become a key factor that affects each country to develop artificial intelligence(AI) safely.