But the alarming hacking ability of top artificial intelligence models is leading Beijing to see the dangers in a new light, with the spy agency chief warning this week that the technology could jeopardise national security.

The potential vulnerability of Chinese mega-app WeChat was also revealed recently when a small team of programmers in California said it had used AI to build a cyberattack “worm” that, if unleashed, could easily compromise millions of WeChat accounts.

“There are more similarities than differences when it comes to AI safety issues” in China and the United States, said Kevin Xu, founder of US-based technology hedge fund Interconnected Capital.

But unlike in America, these “don’t get litigated or go viral in public in China”, Xu told AFP.

Nevertheless, the cybersecurity impact of AI agent bots acting without human oversight “would rank very high among the Chinese government’s biggest concerns”.

As the topic grabs global headlines, the pressure is on for President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Donald Trump to discuss tackling the AI threats to both countries at in-person talks on Thursday — despite their rivalry in the field.

Both powers are “developing a more realistic and shared understanding of these risks, thereby heightening the sense of urgency” to work together, Sun Chenghao of Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy told AFP.

Cooperation on shared safety evaluations for AI models or alert systems when crises emerge might be undermined by the fierce competition, however.

“We’re leading China in AI… and frankly I want to keep it that way,” Trump said when asked about calls from top US labs for a coordinated slowdown of their cutting-edge work.

Meanwhile, Sun said, “China is concerned that ‘security’ may be used as a tool to restrict its technological development”.

‘Vulnerable position’

A stark warning of the existential threat posed by self-improving future AI systems, posted on X by a researcher resigning from US startup Anthropic, has fuelled debate worldwide over how the technology should be governed.

China is already actively regulating how it is used, such as by prohibiting the creation of an AI-generated avatar in someone’s likeness without their consent.

“Chinese AI policy focuses more on real, present-day harms to society and people,” said Brian Tse, CEO at Concordia AI, a Beijing-based consultancy focused on AI safety.

“Beijing treats AI as a general-purpose technology — not a ‘god-in-a-box’,” he said.

It sees it as “something closer to electricity or the automobile: enormously beneficial for society and industry, but ultimately manageable through regulation”, Tse said.

He added that “recent AI capability jumps, high-profile incidents acting as ‘warning shots’, and a worrying pace of AI development through automation” had all pushed the technology up the list of priorities.

On the streets of Shanghai, AFP found a mix of concern and pragmatism about AI.

“In my view, no new technology develops completely smoothly,” said 42-year-old Xie Zongbo.

He said news of the cyberattack “worm” that could hack into WeChat may in fact be “a good thing: identifying the issue, solving it, and patching the loophole ultimately benefits the advancement of cybersecurity”.

There was also broad support for tight regulation.

“I believe that no business… would ever impose restrictions on themselves,” said a 50-year-old pharmaceutical worker, who gave her name as Jenny.

“Take traffic as an example: drivers would never say, ‘I want all red lights’.” Jia Zijian, founder of Singapore-based Inspired AI, said his greatest concern was highly capable AI models learning to crack complex passwords.

“Suppose these critical passwords or national security key codes were to be effortlessly cracked. In such a scenario… both China and the US would find themselves vulnerable: if our (China’s) capabilities are strong enough, they would feel exposed.

“And if theirs are strong enough and we lack defences, we would be in a similarly vulnerable position.”

The president cited national security concerns for the move, echoing the rationale offered for the roughly $400 million ballroom complex being built on ​the site of the White House’s former East Wing, which was ​demolished to make way for the project. He did not identify ⁠any specific threats.

The projects are part of Trump’s ambitious effort to reshape Washington, including a push to add his name to the John F. Kennedy ​Centre for the Performing Arts. The plans have drawn criticism from preservationists and others who argue they could alter or diminish historic landmarks.

In a social media post, Trump ​said that at the “strong request” of the military he had agreed to ​turn the 76-metre arch “into a top-grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch, to house, store, and have ‌the ⁠rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas, and additionally have and hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage.”

The White House and the Department of Defence did not ​immediately respond to a ​request for comment.

The ⁠Federal Aviation Administration said last week that the arch would not pose a hazard to aircraft but would be required to have ​an “eternal flame” on top, clearing an aviation hurdle for ​the arch, ⁠which Trump proposed to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Aviation experts have raised safety concerns given its proximity to Reagan Washington National Airport, while veterans have sued to ⁠block ​the arch, arguing it would destroy the historic ​sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

The development takes place amid reports of a crackdown on the PTI ahead of its September 27 countrywide protest and march to Islamabad, which the party has called to demand Imran’s release from jail and mobilise people for the supremacy of the Constitution.

The September 20 order, a copy of which is available with Dawn, said DC Muhammad Ali Ijaz had ordered the detention or arrest of Aleema and a man named Muhammad Ameer under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960 (MPO).

The MPO ordinance allows the authorities to order detention and restrict judicial review of such orders.

“Their custody shall be placed under the superintendent, Central Jail, Kot Lakhpat, Lahore. They shall be at liberty to make a representation to the provincial government against this order,” the document read.

Police sources confirmed to Dawn that Aleema had been taken to the Kot Lakhpat jail.

Following the arrest, Aleema’s sister Noreen Niazi addressed a press conference in Lahore, flanked by her sister’s counsel Advocate Mudassir Umar.

Noreen claimed Aleema was “picked up” along with her driver after she left her residence on Saturday and they later learnt that Aleema’s vehicle was parked at a police station. Meanwhile, the lawyer said they had yet to receive official confirmation of her arrest.

Aleema’s son Shahrez Khan, in a post on X, alleged his mother “was abducted after leaving home this morning”.

“Our family has had no contact or news of her whereabouts,” he wrote, clarifying that Aleema was on bail in all cases against her in Lahore.

“We demand the government immediately disclose her whereabouts and ensure her safe return,” Shahrez wrote.

The DC’s order cited a letter by the Lahore capital city police officer. It said the letter referred to police reports that said Aleema and Ameer “are prejudicial to the public safety and maintenance of public order”.

According to the order, the reports also mentioned that the two had been involved in roadblocks and protests on May 9, 2023, when PTI supporters and workers took to the streets against Imran’s arrest.

“They motivated the workers to damage public and government property. Moreover, they are again mobilising the workers through social media and public meetings to create law and order situation, raising/chanting objectionable slogans amongst the general public against the government/institution in order to provoke and incite them,” the order read.

It said multiple cases had been registered against the two, declaring them “potential dangers to public peace and tranquillity”.

According to the order, the Civil Lines Division superintendent of police and district intelligence branch in-charge recommended their detention under the MPO for a 30-day period “in order to keep the law and order situation in the city intact”.

‘Pressure’

Describing the development as part of “pressure” ahead of the September 27 protest, Noreen said the date would be a “historic day” in what she described as a movement for Imran’s release.

“We are all part of this movement,” she told reporters, urging PTI supporters not to be afraid despite what she alleged was a crackdown involving raids on homes.

She called on people to come out “for their country and Imran Khan”, alleging that his brother was being kept in custody unjustly and was not receiving proper medical treatment.

“If they think that by arresting Aleema Khan we will be frightened, they are mistaken,” she declared.

Advocate Umar noted an MPO(3) order had been circulating on social media and purportedly named Aleema and Ameer. However, he said, the government had not yet officially acknowledged Aleema’s detention.

“We are working out a legal course of action against the arrest. The government should own the arrest so that we can seek legal remedy,” the lawyer said.

He claimed that police had already informed a court that Aleema was not involved in the Jinnah House attack case pertaining to the May 9 riots.

The lawyer further claimed that the MPO order appeared to have been issued after Aleema was taken into custody, and alleged that her arrest was linked to her being the sister of Imran Khan.

Soon after reports emerged of Aleema’s arrest, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan wrote on X: “We have clarified that our protest will be peaceful. Our objective is to peacefully struggle for the fulfilment of our constitutional and political demands; we don’t want any kind of clash or violence.

“Arresting Aleema Khan sahiba under the MPO in this situation is tantamount to fuelling violence and tension. We strongly condemn it.”

He called for an end to all such actions and demanded Aleema’s immediate release.

The party would soon present its strategy against such actions, he said.

Earlier, the PTI posted on X that Aleema had been “abducted” in Lahore from outside her home by the authorities. In another statement, the party termed the action a “cowardly and deliberate attempt to worsen the situation”.

“Who is responsible for shameful news coming out of Pakistan almost every day now?” PTI wrote in yet another post sharing a Reuters report on the arrest.

PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram demanded that Aleema be presented in court immediately.

“A sister is being punished for speaking up for her brother,” Akram alleged on X.

Imran’s son Kasim Khan, who has recently been speaking to international media about his father’s incarceration, wrote on X: “First they imprisoned my father. Now they are coming after his family.”

Assailing the government, he said, “The world cannot keep looking away from what is happening in Pakistan.”

Opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) also condemned the arrest in a statement, saying the move was tantamount to crossing all limits of “state oppression and political revenge.

“The TTAP strongly condemns this step by the government, especially the Punjab government. This action exposes the Punjab government’s current oppressive system,” it added.

The opposition alliance said Aleema’s arrest would not be tolerated and demanded her immediate release.

“The Punjab government must realise that oppression, arrests and revengeful acts cannot resolve political differences,” the TTAP said, reiterating its demand for Aleema’s release, as well as that of other “political prisoners”.

Detentions ahead of protest

Aleema’s arrest follows a string of reported actions against the PTI in Punjab ahead of its September 27 protest.

District authorities had also issued preventive detention orders against dozens of PTI workers under MPO a week ago, including 31 in one Punjab notification and a further 14 in Toba Tek Singh.

Similar reports have come from Islamabad, where the PTI plans to march on the protest day. However, the government has vowed to stop the march, and the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled that no political party or its leadership has the “lawful right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas and buildings in Islamabad”.

On Saturday, the capital police took into custody four PTI activists and workers.

A police officer told Dawn the activists were arrested under separate charges on a complaint lodged by a sub-inspector.

The police got information that the PTI workers were holding a meeting in connection with the planned protest at a property dealer’s office in the area of E-16. Subsequently, a police team was constituted for the raid and arrests.

The police claimed that the workers tortured the police team when they raided the meeting venue, besides tearing their uniforms and taking them hostage.

On Thursday, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said he was “released” after being briefly detained, with the party claiming he was held by Islamabad police.

Officers in the police and capital administration also said they have started preparations to counter the PTI’s countrywide protest. Authorities have placed hundreds of containers at the city’s entry points as the administration braces for protests.

The announcement came from the Independent System and Market Operator (Ismo), a subsidiary of the Power Division.

Ismo “hereby announces the publication of Request for Proposals (RFP) for the first wheeling auction and invites all potential auction participants to submit proposals for undertaking transactions under the CTBCM”, it said.

The last date for submission of RFPs is November 20, 2026.

Power Minister Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari termed the development a historic major step towards transforming Pakistan’s power sector from a single-buyer model to a competitive electricity market.

Under the Competitive Trading Bilateral Contract Market (CTBCM) mechanism, businesses and industrial consumers will be able to purchase electricity directly from power producers on a competitive basis.

This is part of the government’s plan to phase out state-led power purchases, under which 800MW of electricity is to be auctioned over the next five years. In the first phase, 400MW of electricity has been offered for competitive procurement.

The maximum allocation per auction participant is 160MW, cumulatively across all annual auctions over the five-year period.

According to Ismo, aggregate wheeling quantum is 800MW, which is to be auctioned. Four hundred megawatt has been offered in the first phase of auction, with a cap of 20pc for each participant.

A participant may develop or procure a single generation plant of up to 160MW firm capacity or multiple plants of different capacities across successive annual auctions, provided its aggregate allocated capacity does not exceed 160MW over a five-year period. Each plant must meet the applicable capacity obligations and auction requirements.

The 160 MW ceiling applies to the participant’s cumulative allocation, not separately to each plant or annual auction.

Describing the initiative as an important milestone in the country’s power sector, Leghari said the government would not be involved in power capacity procurement in future.

He said the government currently purchased electricity under a centralised system and supplied it to consumers, adding that questions had often been raised regarding the terms and conditions governing electricity procurement.

“The government is practically moving out of electricity procurement from today,” the minister said.

He said under the new system, the government would neither have the right to sell electricity nor would it purchase electricity from power producers in the traditional manner.

“Those who generate electricity and those who consume it will be able to buy and sell electricity directly,” he added, stressing that the electricity trading mechanism would be based on transparency and competition.

The minister said the system would initially be implemented for industrial and large consumers, particularly those consuming more than one megawatt.

He said the competitive electricity market would gradually expand and, in the coming years, develop into a broader power market where consumers would have greater choice in purchasing electricity.

“Under this system, even an ordinary consumer will eventually be able to purchase electricity according to their choice,” he said.

The minister said the new mechanism would prevent the government from purchasing electricity and subsequently selling it to consumers at rates determined through the existing centralised arrangement.

He expressed the hope that the availability of electricity at competitive rates would enable Pakistani industries to remain competitive in international markets and enhance their capacity to export products.

Referring to the power sector’s past procurement arrangements, the minister said the term independent power producers (IPPs) had become controversial in public discourse, adding that the new competitive mechanism would bring greater transparency to electricity procurement and trading.

He said the government was fulfilling the commitments it had made regarding reforms in the power sector and congratulated the prime minister and the nation on the commencement of the new process.

This follows conditional approval last week of an indicative generation capacity expansion plan (IGCEP 2025-35) that envisages capacity addition of 26,045MW — 17,485MW committed and 8,560MW optimised — along with the retirement of 2,577MW of existing capacity, resulting in total installed capacity of 62,657MW.

This also includes 8,120MW of net metering. The total projected cost of the additional capacity is $47.08bn.

Alongside this, ongoing or committed transmission projects entail an estimated investment requirement of $4.6bn while newly proposed transmission expansion projects require an additional investment of approximately $6.05bn, resulting in a cumulative transmission requirement of approximately $10.65bn over the planning horizon, according to a decision announced by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority.