China said it would take "all necessary measures" to safeguard its interests over the possibility of the U.S. imposing sanctions on Chinese artificial intelligence companies for distilling American models, a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce said in a Monday press conference.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week said the government plans to launch a probe into Chinese AI models for "stealing" the capabilities of U.S. models, according to a report from CNBC.
The Commerce spokesperson said the accusation lacks "factual basis and legal support" and that it constitutes "double standards in practice, representing typical acts of AI hegemony".