Science & Tech · AI · 8 hrs ago
Middle powers seek flexible partnerships in US-China AI rivalry
At a forum in Shenzhen, an AI governance panel discussed how countries between the US and China are approaching competition over artificial intelligence.
Middle powers favour flexible AI partnerships instead of committing to a closed alliance with either side.
Alejandro Reyes, a University of Hong Kong adjunct professor, said these countries choose partners issue by issue.
They want to be plugged in, not locked in, as they work with both Beijing and Washington.
This approach reflects their effort to exercise agency in the AI era.
The panel heard this view on Saturday, but no next steps were reported.
Middle powers favor flexible partnerships over closed alliances as they navigate US-China competition in artificial intelligence, an AI governance panel heard.
They seek to work with both Beijing and Washington on specific issues rather than align with one camp.
Alejandro Reyes, an adjunct professor at the University of Hong Kong, said middle powers were exercising agency in the AI era.
Reyes described their approach as “plugged in, not locked in.”
- Who
- Middle powers navigating US-China AI competition.
- What
- They favor flexible partnerships, working with both countries on specific issues rather than joining a single camp.
- When
- Saturday; the article was published on November 8, 2026.
- Where
- A forum in Shenzhen.
- Why
- Reyes said middle powers were exercising agency in the AI era.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Forum location
- Shenzhen
- Forum co-hosts
- Shenzhen Loop Area Institute and the Centre on Contemporary China and the World at HKU
- Speaker
- Alejandro Reyes, adjunct professor at the University of Hong Kong
- Approach
- Partner with Beijing and Washington issue by issue
- Publication date
- November 8, 2026
What people are saying
Countries in the middle do not want to be locked in; they want to plug in.