Japan expresses concern over the narrowing AI technology gap between the U.S. and China

¬ The U.S. seeks to ban citizens of China and Russia from purchasing land and property near military bases

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According to Kyodo News, on May 15, the Japanese government released minutes from an expert meeting held on April 27 regarding revisions to three security-related documents. Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed concern over the shrinking technological gap between the U.S. and China in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), stating he "reaffirmed a sense of crisis."

Ishiba cited remarks by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command that America’s technological edge over China is becoming increasingly fragile, expressing concern about Japan’s lagging position: "If we view the time-based advantage gap between the U.S. and China as six months, how large is our own gap?"

Experts noted that technologies similar to Anthropic’s latest general-purpose large language model, "Claude Mythos," will inevitably be developed by other countries and companies—“it’s just a matter of time.”

Currently, the U.S. and China lead global advancements in artificial intelligence. The U.S. holds a dominant position in foundational theories, original algorithms, high-end chips, and top-tier talent, continuously delivering breakthrough innovations through its open innovation ecosystem and powerful tech giants. China, meanwhile, excels in application deployment, massive data availability, diverse use cases, and large-scale implementation, focusing on smart manufacturing, smart cities, and consumer internet to rapidly commercialize AI technologies. The profound shifts in the U.S.-China AI competition are having far-reaching impacts on global technology and security dynamics.

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According to CBS, members of the U.S. Congress have introduced a proposal in the House aimed at preventing citizens of Russia, China, and several other countries from buying agricultural land near military facilities.

The report states: "A bipartisan group of lawmakers has proposed new legislation to close what they describe as 'dangerous loopholes' allowing foreign adversaries like China to purchase agricultural land and properties near U.S. military bases."

This bill constitutes a series of amendments to the 1950 Defense Production Act.

The bill explicitly specifies that this measure particularly applies to citizens from China, Russia, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela. The sponsors of the bill have placed particular emphasis on China.

The proposal authorizes the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment—chaired by the Secretary of the Treasury—to review and effectively approve transactions involving the sale of agricultural land to foreigners.

The document also proposes requiring all parties involved in “high-risk” real estate transactions to submit mandatory declarations to this committee.

These lawmakers argue that “high-risk” transactions include not only farmland but also ports, telecommunications infrastructure, and any facilities located near military installations.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as of December 2024, foreign individuals owned approximately 2% of U.S. agricultural land—over 16 million hectares—with 0.5% of that land linked to Chinese investors.

Source: sputniknews

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1865321649916043/

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