Artificial intelligence has become one of the defining technologies of the 21st century, with PwC estimating it could contribute up to US$15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. As governments race to shape its development through regulation, standards and investment, leadership in AI is increasingly determined not only by technological capability but also by the ability to influence the rules that govern its use.<\/p>\n
Against this backdrop, President Xi Jinping\u2019s recent keynote address at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai deserves closer attention. While much of the international coverage focused on the launch of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO), the speech itself outlined China\u2019s broader ambition of becoming a leading architect of global AI governance.<\/p>\n
Xi presented four guiding principles for international AI cooperation. These include promoting open collaboration, ensuring AI remains safe and under meaningful human oversight, respecting cultural diversity, and strengthening multilateral governance through the United Nations. Similar themes appear in the OECD AI Principles, UNESCO\u2019s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and the G7 Hiroshima AI Process. The distinction lies in the governance model China is proposing to implement.<\/p>\n
One of Xi\u2019s strongest messages challenged the growing use of national security as a justification for restricting access to advanced AI technologies. Although he did not mention the United States directly, the reference was widely understood as criticism of Washington\u2019s export controls on advanced semiconductors and AI hardware. Since 2022, successive rounds of US restrictions have limited China\u2019s access to high-performance chips from companies such as Nvidia and AMD, reflecting the increasingly strategic nature of AI competition.<\/p>\n
These technology controls have reinforced China\u2019s determination to pursue greater technological self-reliance while simultaneously building international partnerships that reduce dependence on Western-led technology ecosystems. As such, WAICO should be viewed not simply as another multilateral institution, but as part of China\u2019s broader strategy to shape the future architecture of AI governance.<\/p>\n
The organisation\u2019s founding membership illustrates this objective. Twenty-nine countries signed the founding agreement in Shanghai, including Brazil, Russia, Serbia, Cuba, Belarus and several African, Asian and Latin American states. Notably absent were the US, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea, all of which already participate in alternative AI governance initiatives centred around the G7, OECD and EU regulatory frameworks.<\/p>\n
This reflects a growing reality in international technology governance. Much of today\u2019s AI regulatory landscape has been developed by advanced economies with relatively limited participation from developing countries. While these frameworks have established important standards for safety, transparency and accountability, many governments in the Global South argue they have had little influence over rules that will significantly affect their future digital economies.<\/p>\n
China has positioned WAICO as an alternative forum where developing countries can play a greater role in shaping international AI policy. Xi reinforced this message by announcing plans to provide 5,000 AI training opportunities for participants from developing countries over the next five years, alongside cooperation centres with organisations including the African Union, ASEAN, the Arab League, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.<\/p>\n
For many emerging economies, these commitments address practical challenges. According to the International Telecommunication Union, significant disparities remain in AI infrastructure, computing capacity and digital skills between developed and developing nations. Access to technical expertise, research partnerships and workforce training may therefore prove as valuable as access to AI technologies themselves.<\/p>\n
Amid the predictable criticism and misinformation, dismissing WAICO as an instrument of Chinese foreign policy risks overlooking why many countries have chosen to join. The demand for more inclusive global AI governance did not originate in Beijing. It emerged from a broader perception that existing governance structures have been shaped primarily by a small group of powerful countries. China\u2019s initiative seeks to fill that gap, making it both a strategic project and a response to genuine dissatisfaction with the current international system.<\/p>\n
As AI continues to transform industries and accelerate economic development, international cooperation on its governance will play an increasingly important role in ensuring its benefits are shared widely. Through WAICO, China has signalled its commitment to fostering a more inclusive framework for global AI collaboration, particularly for developing economies seeking greater participation in shaping emerging technologies.<\/p>\n
The organisation\u2019s long-term significance will rest on its ability to translate its vision into meaningful initiatives, including expanding AI training, strengthening research partnerships, establishing regional cooperation centres and contributing to globally relevant technical standards. If these commitments are realised, WAICO could emerge as an important platform for advancing innovation, capacity building and responsible AI development across diverse regions.<\/p>\n
The writer is an expert in China-Africa relations<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The post China positions itself as a leader in global AI governance<\/a> appeared first on KBC Digital<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Artificial intelligence has become one of the defining technologies of the 21st century, with PwC estimating it could contribute up to US$15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. As governments race to shape its development through regulation, standards and investment, leadership in AI is increasingly determined not only by technological capability but also by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-147417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147417"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147417\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}