CHINA AI Global Conference Delegates
China has begun the 2026 World AI Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meetings on Global AI Governance to promote the safe, orderly and responsible development of artificial intelligence for global development and human well-being.
Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony in Shanghai from July 17 to 20, delivered a keynote speech outlining China’s policies, vision and proposals on AI development and governance.
He described AI as a key driver of technological and industrial transformation, noting that while rapid advances present significant opportunities, they also create governance challenges that require international cooperation.
People-Centred Approach To AI
China has adopted a people-centred approach to AI, combining its vast data resources, industrial base and market to accelerate innovation. According to the article on AI governance , China’s AI sector now includes more than 6,200 companies, with the industry’s value exceeding 1.2 trillion yuan (about $176.7 billion) in 2025. It also says the country’s annual production of humanoid robots is expected to surpass 100,000 units this year.
The article highlights China’s international AI cooperation through its Global AI Governance Initiative and AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All, citing the AI-powered MAZU early warning system, which is reportedly being used in more than 40 countries to improve responses to extreme weather.
AI For Global Public Good
It argues that AI should remain a global public good rather than “a game dictated by a few wealthy countries or a tool for maintaining technological hegemony”, adding that “Attempts to obstruct other countries’ AI development through exclusive blocs or supply chain disruptions will only harm this burgeoning sector and should be opposed.”
The article concludes that “it is imperative to uphold the people-centred, AI-for-good principle, balance development with security, and practise multilateralism” while noting that this year’s WAIC, themed “AI Partnership for a Brighter Future”, aims to advance more open, fair and effective global AI governance.
The World Artificial Intelligence Conference, with the theme “AI Partnership for a Brighter Future”, reflects an increasingly important reality: no nation, regardless of its technological strength, can independently govern a technology whose influence transcends borders. Algorithms travel faster than regulations. Digital risks ignore geography. The benefits of AI should therefore be matched by equally global mechanisms of cooperation.
China’s proposal begins with a simple yet profound principle: AI should remain people-centered and serve the common good. Technology should enhance human dignity, improve livelihoods and create opportunities rather than widen inequalities or fuel confrontation. This philosophy provides a moral compass at a time when commercial competition and geopolitical rivalry often threaten to overshadow the public interest.
Building upon this principle, China has outlined four mutually reinforcing pillars for global AI governance: openness and shared innovation, security and responsible development, inclusiveness and mutual learning among civilizations, and solidarity and global governance. Together, these principles form not merely a diplomatic statement but a practical governance architecture capable of addressing both the opportunities and challenges presented by AI.
Innovation flourishes most effectively in an environment of openness rather than isolation. Scientific discovery has always advanced through collaboration, knowledge exchange and shared progress. Artificial intelligence should be no exception. Encouraging open-source development, expanding international research cooperation and promoting wider technological applications can help ensure that AI becomes an engine of global growth rather than another source of technological fragmentation.
At the same time, rapid innovation must be accompanied by robust safeguards. AI should remain a trustworthy tool that operates under meaningful human oversight. Effective governance requires legal frameworks, technical monitoring, risk assessment and emergency response mechanisms that evolve alongside technological progress. Such safeguards should protect societies without unnecessarily restricting innovation or allowing security concerns to become barriers to legitimate international cooperation.
Equally significant is China’s emphasis on cultural diversity. Artificial intelligence should not become a vehicle for imposing a single set of cultural values upon the world. Instead, AI should facilitate dialogue among civilizations, preserve linguistic and cultural diversity, and promote mutual understanding. Technology should enrich humanity’s diversity rather than diminish it.
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of China’s proposal is its commitment to narrowing the global intelligence divide. While AI has generated enormous opportunities, it has also highlighted significant disparities in computing resources, technical expertise and governance capacity between developed and developing countries. Without deliberate international action, these gaps risk becoming permanent structural inequalities.
Source: Xinhua/ China Daily/ You Tube
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