APEC Nations Back Open-Source AI With Security Assurances

Governments from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) bloc, including the United States and China, have released a joint statement supporting the development of open-source artificial intelligence models. The "Chengdu Statement" released Thursday stresses the importance of security, data protection, and intellectual property rights.

The statement calls for backing models and projects that "employ strong security assurance through development and deployment." This marks a shift towards greater governmental oversight in the open-source AI landscape, moving away from its more libertarian roots.

China has recently been at the forefront of open-source AI advancements, with companies like DeepSeek and GLM 5.2 offering freely downloadable models. This contrasts with U.S. companies such as Anthropic, which often provide closed, pay-to-use AI models.

Li Lecheng, China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology, who chaired the ministerial meeting, stated that all parties acknowledge the risks associated with AI. He encouraged dialogue among governments, the private sector, and academia to share information on cybersecurity, supply chain resilience, and online scams.

Industry analysts view the statement as significant, representing a convergence of national interests. The practical implementation of security assurances and the building of a trusted open ecosystem are expected to be key areas of focus going forward.