Chinese AI Poses Existential Threat to Western Democracy

On June 26, 2025, new evidence emerged that should trigger alarm bells. Despite reports of China lifting sanctions on British parliamentarians, a deeper threat lies in Beijing's artificial intelligence (AI) strategy. This strategy poses an existential threat to democracy, not just in Asia, but also in the UK and across the West.

The report, 'China's Use of AI and Its Negative Impact on the World,' details how China is leveraging AI to dominate, control narratives, surveil citizens, and erode democratic institutions through digital manipulation. Under the direction of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), AI is being weaponized to influence public discourse and undermine sovereign economies.

A particularly concerning example is DeepSeek AI, a Chinese-developed system capable of manipulating public discourse at scale. It adjusts search results and generates AI-authored propaganda, designed to drown out dissent and inject state-sponsored misinformation into both domestic and global conversations. This isn't the old model of censorship, where content is blocked or removed; it's a new era of engineered perception where truth is buried not by force, but by algorithm.

The West, particularly the UK, must not be lulled into complacency by superficial diplomatic gestures. The lifting of sanctions on a few MPs is not a sign of reform but a bait. If financial interests blind the UK to the geopolitical and moral realities of Chinese AI, they risk empowering the very forces that seek to undermine global freedoms.

China's AI reach extends far beyond narrative manipulation. It powers a vast surveillance state at home, most alarmingly in Xinjiang, where Uyghur Muslims are monitored, profiled, and detained with AI-assisted precision. Predictive policing algorithms flag individuals based on behavior patterns, and a 'social credit' system ties together data from financial, digital, and physical activities to reward obedience and penalize dissent.

Beijing is not content with domestic control. These tools are being exported, bundled into Belt and Road Initiative contracts, and quietly adopted by regimes across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. What we’re witnessing is the globalisation of authoritarian AI, and its fingerprints are increasingly present in international organizations tasked with writing the rules of digital governance.

Equally troubling is China’s use of AI to support Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. From AI-enhanced malware and battlefield intelligence to algorithmic propaganda, the CCP has enabled the Kremlin to evade sanctions, manipulate perception, and sustain its war effort. In Taiwan, Beijing’s use of AI in military simulations, cyberwarfare, and economic pressure tactics has made clear that its ambitions are not abstract – they are strategic, real, and increasingly imminent.

In this context, the UK’s current posture toward China is dangerously naïve. Economic pragmatism is understandable, but it cannot come at the expense of national security, democratic principles, or global credibility. The UK cannot welcome Chinese AI firms into its markets while ignoring their links to surveillance, repression, and state-sponsored disinformation.

The UK must respond with clarity and resolve. This begins with limiting dependency on Chinese technology, strengthening cyber resilience, and supporting the development of ethical AI. It also means standing firmly with partners like Taiwan, resisting CCP influence in international bodies, and ensuring UK foreign policy is guided not by short-term investment goals but by long-term democratic values.

The United Kingdom has always prided itself on moral leadership and strategic foresight. This is a moment that demands both. Because make no mistake: the dragon may offer you a handshake, but it never stops watching.