At the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Xi Jinping called for a new global AI governance framework, positioning China as an alternative to the U.S.-led AI order. He described China’s open-source AI models as a global public good and argued that AI development and governance should be driven by international cooperation rather than dominated by any single country.
Xi criticized the “overextension of the national security concept” in AI governance, an apparent reference to U.S. technology restrictions on China. He announced that China will provide 5,000 AI training opportunities for developing countries over the next five years, expand AI cooperation with BRICS, ASEAN, Latin America, and Africa, and make its AI-powered weather forecasting and early warning system available to 30 countries.
Xi also highlighted the launch of the Chinese-initiated World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO), which reportedly has 29 member states. The initiative reflects Beijing’s broader effort to shape global AI governance, promote Chinese AI standards, and strengthen technological partnerships with the Global South as strategic competition with the United States intensifies.
Source: Deutscher Welle, July 17, 2026
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