Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the World AI Conference in Shanghai on Friday, delivering a clear message that artificial intelligence must not become a tool of monopoly by any single nation. Instead, he framed AI as a collaborative endeavor requiring global governance and shared benefits. The address marked the first time a Chinese president has personally attended the summit, underscoring Beijing's growing ambitions in the AI sector amid intensifying technological competition with the United States.
Xi stated that AI "should not be a solo performance by a single country, but a symphony of international cooperation," a line that resonated strongly with developing nations and implicitly criticized Washington's restrictive export controls on advanced AI chips. The Chinese leader emphasized the need for a "people-centered" approach to AI development, warning that leaving poorer nations behind risks creating "new historical injustices." His appearance coincided with the signing of a China-led cooperation body—the World AI Cooperation Organization—which drew founding signatures from 29 governments, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Laos. Foreign Minister Wang Yi signed the agreement, positioning Shanghai as the headquarters of this new entity.
Governance and Safety Concerns
Xi's speech balanced ambition with caution. He called for robust governance mechanisms, including "laws and regulations, technological monitoring, early warning, and emergency response systems" to ensure AI remains "always under human control." These sentiments mirror those expressed at Western AI safety summits, but the key difference lies in who shapes the rulebook. China's approach emphasizes state-led governance and international cooperation, contrasting with the West's focus on private-sector leadership and multi-stakeholder models.
The Chinese president also used the platform to critique U.S. policy directly. He urged nations to "jointly oppose overstretching the national security concept in the field of AI or placing one country's security over that of others," a clear reference to American export controls that restrict Chinese access to high-performance semiconductors. The United States has spent two years tightening these restrictions, and China has retaliated by considering its own curbs on overseas access to its leading AI models.
Strategic Timing and Technological Parity
The timing of Xi's appearance is not incidental. Chinese AI labs have closed the gap with their American counterparts faster than many in Washington anticipated. The Atlas 950 SuperPoD, a computing cluster unveiled by Huawei during the conference, operates without Nvidia's top-end chips, showcasing China's ability to innovate under sanctions. This technological parity gave Xi the credibility to argue for cooperation rather than containment. He promised capacity-building initiatives for partners in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the BRICS grouping, effectively extending a free-AI offer to the global south that undercuts the G7's more guarded posture.
Major U.S. technology firms were largely absent from the conference, highlighting the deepening rift between the two tech ecosystems. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres attended the launch of the cooperation organization, lending multilateral credibility to what might otherwise be seen as a purely Chinese initiative. Guterres' presence reinforced the framing of AI as a global challenge requiring inclusive solutions.
Historical Context and Economic Implications
Xi has likened AI's arrival to the steam engine, describing it as a revolution that will transform the entire economy. China's ambitions in AI are deeply rooted in its long-term strategy to shift from a manufacturing-based economy to one driven by innovation and digital technologies. The country has invested heavily in AI research, education, and infrastructure, with state-backed initiatives such as the New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan aiming to make China a world leader in AI by 2030.
The World AI Cooperation Organization is designed to provide an institutional framework for this vision. Billed as an independent body promoting "beneficial, safe, and fair" AI under UN Charter principles, its stated remit is capacity-building rather than regulation. This means offering infrastructure, training, and shared models to countries that have largely watched the AI boom from the sidelines. For many developing nations, this offer may prove more attractive than the conditional access and intellectual property protections favored by Western powers.
The competition for influence in AI governance is now playing out on multiple fronts. The European Union has enacted the AI Act, a comprehensive regulatory framework, while the U.S. has pursued voluntary commitments from leading AI companies. China's approach combines state control at home with diplomatic outreach abroad. The launch of the World AI Cooperation Organization represents a significant step in this strategy, potentially creating a rival governance forum to Western-led initiatives such as the Global Partnership on AI.
However, questions remain about the organization's actual impact. Will it become a genuine alternative for setting global standards, or merely a well-attended symbol of Chinese soft power? The answer may become clearer at the next conference, but for now, China has the venue, the guest list, and the keynote. Xi's speech made it plain that Beijing intends to hold the baton in the symphony of AI development, particularly when it comes to the global south deciding whose standards to follow.
Source:TNW | China News