China launches World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO) with 29 founding members

Shanghai, July 16 — On the eve of the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, officials from 29 countries signed an agreement to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO). The signing ceremony was attended by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, the deputy prime ministers of Kazakhstan, Laos, and Pakistan, and other dignitaries. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi represented China at the event.

Organization Overview

First proposed by China at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, WAICO will be headquartered in Shanghai and operate as an independent intergovernmental entity. Its stated aim is to promote international cooperation on AI to ensure it remains beneficial, safe, and fair for all, in line with the principles of the UN Charter and a people-centered approach.

President Xi Jinping's Address

Speaking at the opening of the 2026 WAIC the following day, President Xi Jinping outlined China's vision that AI development should be a shared endeavor across nations, rather than driven by a single country. He announced:

• 5,000 training spots for developing countries over the next five years
• Establishment of cooperation centers with regional blocs including ASEAN, the African Union, and BRICS

Key Features of the Agreement

• Open participation without conditions tied to political systems or values
• Strong emphasis on narrowing the technology-access gap between richer and poorer nations

Founding Members

Founding members include Russia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Brazil, Kazakhstan, and other countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, with additional members to be announced. Notably, no Western or strongly Western-aligned countries are among the founding nations, nor are they expected to join in the future.

Geopolitical Implications

The composition of WAICO points to an emerging split in AI governance along geopolitical lines. Over time, this may solidify into parallel ecosystems for standards, data governance, and infrastructure, with limited interoperability between them—further complicating an already fragmented landscape.

China's Strategic Positioning

Although WAICO's formation appears rapid—taking just one year from proposal to founding—China has been working toward this step for some time. Last year's proposal formed part of Beijing's broader Global AI Governance Initiative, which argues that rules should treat development needs as seriously as safety concerns.

Beijing has criticized international AI governance efforts hosted in the United Kingdom, South Korea, France, and India, arguing that these tend to bring together advanced economies and focus heavily on managing high-risk systems and agreeing standards among close partners. Positioning itself as a champion of equitable AI access for developing nations, Beijing contends that such arrangements exclude too many countries that need help to catch up on skills, data, and computing power.

President Xi framed the initiative as a direct response to calls from the Global South. WAICO is presented not as a China-led initiative, but as a practical forum where members can, without entry barriers, work on training programs, joint projects, and basic governance ideas.

Potential Long-Term Impact

With this step, China has gained a significant venue to shape conversations about standards and policy language—the importance and possible long-term effects of which cannot be understated. However, this may not be the most important angle for Beijing. WAICO allows China to offer structured support to developing countries in the form of:

• Access to AI models
• Infrastructure assistance
• Technical know-how

This support can help expand China's influence and cement Beijing's role as the leading alternative provider of AI capacity outside Western-led frameworks. Such influence is likely to manifest through standard-setting, preferred technical architectures, and embedded dependencies in training, cloud infrastructure, and access to models. Each of these channels has strong potential to shape long-term governance outcomes in ways far less visible than formal treaties, yet often far more enduring.

International Reactions

Western capitals have thus far remained muted in their response.

Among ASEAN countries, the short-term outlook appears generally positive. Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, and Myanmar are founding members of WAICO, and China has included ASEAN among the regional blocs for which it will establish AI application cooperation centers focused on practical uses. Governments in the region have predictably welcomed the Chinese emphasis on capacity building and reducing the technology gap, especially since many face similar developmental challenges.