At the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the establishment of the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO), headquartered in Shanghai. This landmark initiative represents China's most ambitious effort to shape global AI governance frameworks.
The organization aims to address the growing 'AI divide' between developed and developing nations, ensuring that the benefits of artificial intelligence are shared more equitably across the globe. It will serve as a platform for international dialogue, technical cooperation, and the development of shared AI governance standards.
In parallel with this announcement, China has been actively promoting the concept of AI as a 'public good.' Chinese officials have argued that making AI technology accessible and affordable to all nations is essential for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and preventing AI from becoming a tool that widens global inequality.
The initiative has received support from numerous Global South countries, who see it as a counterbalance to AI governance frameworks dominated by Western nations. However, some Western observers have expressed concerns about the geopolitical implications of China taking a leadership role in global AI governance.
International AI governance dialogues have intensified in July 2026, with meetings in both Geneva and Shanghai. The contrast between China's open, development-oriented approach and the more restrictive frameworks being considered in the US and EU has become a central theme in global AI policy discussions.
