Xi Jinping promotes global AI cooperation at Shanghai conference, offers developing nations support
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, advocating a "people-centred" and inclusive approach to AI development. He announced 5,000 AI training opportunities for developing countries over five years and cooperation with ASEAN, Arab League, African Union, and BRICS. Xi warned against overstretching national security concepts, implicitly criticizing US export controls. Separately, 29 countries signed an agreement to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) headquartered in Shanghai, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attending.
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Common ground
- Both sides agree that the West has a credibility problem due to its own surveillance programs, drone strikes, and patent hoarding.
- Both agree that the Global South has been historically excluded from technological revolutions and deserves a real seat at the table.
- Both acknowledge that China's AI offer is not purely altruistic but a strategic move to build influence.
- Both recognize that the Global South should not have to simply swap one dependency for another.
Points of contention
- The Western Agent sees China's AI outreach as a soft power play to lock nations into Chinese standards and surveillance, while the Regional Agent views it as genuine solidarity and a needed alternative to Western dominance.
- The Western Agent argues that China's social credit system and lack of democratic oversight make its model dangerous, while the Regional Agent says the West's own flaws make its moral lectures hypocritical.
- The Western Agent believes a truly multilateral framework with binding commitments on human rights is possible, while the Regional Agent argues the West has never voluntarily shared power and such a framework is a fantasy.
Blind spots
- Neither side fully addresses how the Global South can build its own independent AI capacity without relying on either China or the West.
- The debate overlooks the potential for AI to exacerbate inequality within developing countries themselves, not just between nations.
- There is little discussion of how smaller nations can enforce accountability from either China or the West once they are locked into partnerships.
WorldAttention’s read
This debate reveals a deep divide between a Western perspective focused on democratic safeguards and a Global South perspective focused on historical exclusion and the need for practical alternatives. Both sides agree the West has lost moral authority, but they disagree on whether China's offer is a genuine partnership or a new form of control. The Regional Agent ultimately argues that for countries long left out, an imperfect offer that includes them is better than a perfect-sounding one that keeps the door locked. The Western Agent warns that swapping one hegemon for another is not real agency. The blind spot is that neither side fully explores how developing nations can build their own independent AI future, rather than choosing between two powerful suitors.
Wire timeline
China Launches World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO)
On July 16, 2026, China and 29 countries signed an agreement establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), headquartered in Shanghai. Proposed by China in 2025, WAICO aims to promote international AI cooperation with a focus on equitable access for developing nations. President Xi Jinping announced 5,000 training spots for developing countries and cooperation centers with ASEAN, the African Union, and BRICS. The founding members include Russia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Brazil, and Kazakhstan, notably excluding Western nations. The article analyzes WAICO as part of China's broader Global AI Governance Initiative, positioning Beijing as a champion of the Global South while creating an alternative to Western-led AI governance frameworks. This move signals an emerging geopolitical split in AI standards, data governance, and infrastructure.
China Launches World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO)
On July 16, 2026, officials from 29 countries signed an agreement establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), a new intergovernmental body headquartered in Shanghai. Proposed by China at the 2025 World AI Conference, WAICO aims to promote international AI cooperation that is beneficial, safe, and fair, with a focus on narrowing the technology gap between rich and poor nations. Founding members include Russia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Brazil, and other Asian, African, and Latin American countries, notably excluding Western nations. Chinese President Xi Jinping announced plans to provide 5,000 training spots for developing countries and establish cooperation centers with ASEAN, the African Union, and BRICS. The article analyzes WAICO as a move by China to shape global AI governance standards and expand its influence as an alternative provider of AI capacity outside Western-led frameworks, potentially solidifying a geopolitical split in AI governance.
China Establishes World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization to Formalize Global AI Influence
On July 17, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered his first in-person keynote at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, underscoring Beijing's push to shape global AI governance. The most consequential announcement was the formal establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), headquartered in Shanghai, with 29 founding member countries primarily from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. WAICO represents China's shift from articulating AI governance principles to building permanent institutions to operationalize them. Xi framed the organization as a response to the Global South's call, though analysts warn it risks enshrining digital authoritarian approaches. China pledged 5000 AI training opportunities for developing countries over five years and will establish AI cooperation centers with ASEAN, the African Union, and other regional blocs. The article notes that WAICO's influence may extend beyond its direct membership by normalizing China's preferred AI governance approaches at other international forums.
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With New AI Governance Organization, China Seeks to Formalize Its Global AI Influence
On July 17, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, emphasizing 'true multilateralism.' The day prior, China formally established the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), headquartered in Shanghai, with 29 founding members primarily from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and select allies like Russia and Brazil. WAICO represents China's most ambitious effort to institutionalize its AI governance principles globally, shifting from rhetoric to permanent structures. Xi announced 5,000 AI training opportunities for developing countries over five years and AI cooperation centers with ASEAN, the African Union, and other blocs. The article warns that WAICO risks normalizing digital authoritarian approaches to AI governance by embedding Chinese technologies, standards, and regulatory approaches through training, technical standards, and networks, potentially undermining Western-led norms.
With New AI Governance Organization, China Seeks to Formalize Its Global AI Influence
On July 17, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, emphasizing 'true multilateralism.' The day prior, China formally established the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), headquartered in Shanghai, with 29 founding member countries primarily from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. WAICO represents China's most ambitious effort to institutionalize its AI governance principles globally, building on its 2023 Global AI Governance Initiative. China pledged 5,000 AI training opportunities for developing countries over five years and will establish AI cooperation centers with ASEAN, the African Union, and other blocs. The article warns that WAICO risks normalizing digital authoritarian approaches to AI governance by embedding Chinese technologies, regulatory approaches, and standards through training, technical standards, and enduring networks, potentially supplanting existing Western-led governance forums.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaking at an event in Shanghai, called for global cooperation in the development of artificial intelligence, stating that AI should not be a 'solo performance by any single country.' The remarks, reported by Fortune on July 17, 2026, signal a diplomatic overture from China on AI governance and collaboration, positioning Beijing as a proponent of multilateralism in the rapidly advancing field. The speech comes amid heightened global competition in AI, particularly between the U.S. and China, and suggests a willingness to engage in international frameworks. The article, co-authored by Han Guan Ng, Chan Ho-Him, and The Associated Press, frames Xi's comments as an 'olive branch' to the world, emphasizing a 'symphony of global cooperation' over unilateral dominance.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaking at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, urged that AI development should be a 'symphony of global collaboration' rather than a 'solo performance' by any single country. He emphasized that AI must be guided by human wisdom and international consensus for the benefit of humanity. Xi announced that China will provide 5,000 AI research projects, training programs, and cooperation centers to developing countries over the next five years, targeting members of ASEAN, the Arab League, the SCO, the African Union, Latin America, and BRICS. Separately, 29 countries signed an agreement to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO), an independent intergovernmental body headquartered in Shanghai. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attended the signing. The article also notes China's strategic push to become a global AI innovation leader amid competition with the US and others.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaking at the World AI Conference in Shanghai on July 17, 2026, positioned China as a leading partner in artificial intelligence for the Global South. He announced that China will provide developing countries with 5,000 AI training and seminar opportunities over the next five years and expand AI cooperation with blocs including ASEAN, the League of Arab States, and the African Union. Xi called for a 'people-centered' approach to AI governance, emphasizing that AI should remain 'secure and controllable' and under human control. He warned against 'overstretching the national security concept' or placing one country's security above others, implicitly criticizing US export controls on advanced chips and technology. The speech came a day after 29 countries signed an agreement to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), headquartered in Shanghai. The article notes that US restrictions have effectively foreclosed Nvidia from competing in China's data center market.
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