Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the World AI Conference in Shanghai on Friday, delivering a keynote that positioned Beijing as a champion of open, shared artificial intelligence development. In remarks that drew a clear contrast with US policy, Xi stated that AI "should not be a solo performance by a single country, but a symphony of international cooperation." The speech was his first in-person appearance at the summit, signaling China's growing emphasis on shaping global AI governance.
Xi's address came one day after 29 governments signed onto a China-led cooperation body in the same city, with foreign minister Wang Yi formalizing the agreement. The new organization, billed as an independent entity promoting "beneficial, safe and fair" AI under UN Charter principles, will be headquartered in Shanghai. Founding signatories included Russia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Laos, among others. The stated remit is capacity-building rather than regulation, offering infrastructure, training, and shared models to countries that have largely watched the AI boom from the sidelines.
Xi framed AI as a technology of "great opportunities and governance challenges," according to the official Xinhua readout, and pressed for a people-centered approach. He warned that leaving poorer nations behind risked hardening the technology gap into "new historical injustices." This governance pitch doubled as a critique of US policy. Xi said, "We should jointly oppose overstretching the national security concept in the field of AI or placing one country's security over that of others," remarks widely interpreted as a swipe at American export controls.
Those controls form the backdrop to almost everything China now says about AI. Washington has spent two years restricting Chinese access to the most advanced chips, particularly those from Nvidia. In response, Beijing has weighed curbs of its own on who abroad can tap its leading AI models. The timing of Xi's speech is significant: China has narrowed the gap with American labs faster than many in Washington expected, and Xi arrived able to argue from a position closer to parity than earlier editions of the conference could muster.
The contrast Xi wanted to emphasize was cooperation against containment. He promised capacity-building for partners across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the BRICS grouping, extending an earlier free-AI offer to the Global South that undercuts the G7's more guarded posture. This outreach is part of a broader Chinese strategy to win influence in developing nations by offering AI infrastructure and training without the strings attached by Western export controls.
Safety still received attention in the speech. Xi called for "laws and regulations, technological monitoring, early warning, and emergency response systems" to keep AI "always under human control." Such language would not sound out of place at a Western summit, but the key difference lies in who gets to write the rulebook. China's push for a seat at the table in setting global AI standards is accelerating, and the new World AI Cooperation Organization is meant to give that rhetoric an institutional home.
The launch of the organization carried a UN gloss. Secretary-General António Guterres attended the launch, lending the developing-world framing a measure of multilateral cover that a purely Chinese initiative would struggle to claim on its own. Guterres has long advocated for equitable access to AI benefits, and his presence underscored the alignment between UN development goals and China's offer to the Global South.
What went unspoken during Xi's speech also mattered. Major US technology firms were largely absent from the halls, while Huawei used the occasion to unveil its Atlas 950 SuperPoD, a computing cluster built to run without Nvidia's top chips. This hardware announcement highlights China's push for self-reliance in AI infrastructure, a necessity driven by US sanctions. The Atlas 950 SuperPoD is designed to compete with Nvidia's high-end systems, using Huawei's own Ascend processors and proprietary software stack.
Xi has likened AI's arrival to the steam engine, a revolution he said will run through the entire economy. He plainly wants Beijing to hold the baton when the Global South decides whose standards to follow. A symphony, after all, still needs a conductor. Whether the World AI Cooperation Organization becomes a genuine rival to Western governance forums, such as the GPAI (Global Partnership on AI) or the EU's AI Act, or merely a well-attended symbol, is a question the next conference will answer.
The context of US-China tech rivalry cannot be overstated. Since 2022, the Biden administration has tightened export controls on advanced semiconductors and chipmaking equipment, directly targeting China's ability to train large AI models. These controls have forced Chinese companies to develop alternative technologies, such as heterogeneous computing clusters like the Atlas 950, and to optimize existing chips for AI workloads. China's response has been dual: accelerating domestic innovation while building international alliances that bypass US-led restrictions.
The 29 countries that signed onto the cooperation body represent a diverse set of interests. Russia, under Western sanctions, finds a natural partner in China. Developing nations like Indonesia and Pakistan see an opportunity to gain AI capabilities without the strict intellectual property regimes demanded by Western companies. The organization's commitment to UN Charter principles gives it a veneer of legitimacy, though critics argue it is a vehicle for Chinese influence.
Xi's speech also touched on broader themes of global governance. He noted that AI should be developed with a people-centered approach, echoing China's official stance on technology ethics. This includes ensuring that AI benefits are widely distributed and that the technology is used for peaceful purposes. The speech stopped short of specific regulatory proposals but signaled China's willingness to engage in international discussions on AI safety and standards.
The absence of major US tech firms from the conference hall was conspicuous. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI have largely avoided high-profile participation in Chinese-led AI events, partly due to geopolitical tensions and partly because of business risks. Their absence allowed Chinese firms like Huawei, Baidu, and Tencent to dominate the exhibition floor. Huawei's Atlas 950 launch was a highlight, showcasing China's ability to push forward despite sanctions.
For the Global South, Xi's message is compelling. Many developing nations lack the infrastructure and expertise to build their own AI ecosystems, making them reliant on technology from either China or the West. China's offer of capacity-building, free models, and training programs is attractive, especially when Western offerings often come with conditions on data privacy or political alignment. Xi's promise to avoid leaving poorer nations behind directly addresses a key concern in international development circles.
However, the competition for AI dominance is not just about technology; it is about values. The US and Europe advocate for a rules-based order that emphasizes transparency, individual privacy, and democratic oversight. China's model prioritizes state-led development, social stability, and collective benefits. The World AI Cooperation Organization reflects this latter vision, and its success will hinge on whether it can attract a critical mass of countries to adopt its standards.
Xi's appearance at the conference also carried symbolic weight. By addressing the summit in person, he underscored the importance China places on AI as a strategic technology. The speech was carefully crafted to appeal to multiple audiences: developing nations seeking technology transfer, domestic audiences looking for leadership, and international observers watching for signs of China's willingness to cooperate or confront.
The next few years will be telling. China's AI capabilities continue to grow, with leading research institutions like Tsinghua University and companies like SenseTime pushing boundaries in computer vision and natural language processing. US export controls may slow but not stop this progress. Meanwhile, the World AI Cooperation Organization will likely expand its membership, offering an alternative framework for global AI governance.
Xi's closing message was clear: the future of AI should be shaped collectively, not dictated by one power. In a world of rising geopolitical tensions, that message resonates beyond technology. It is a call for a new multilateralism, one in which China plays a central role. For now, China has the venue, the guest list, and the keynote.
Source:TNW | China News