Shanghai: China has proposed the creation of an international organization aimed at promoting global cooperation and equitable access to AI technology.
The announcement came during the opening of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, underscoring China’s ambition to position itself as a global leader in the fast-evolving AI landscape.
Speaking at the three-day event, Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasized the need for a unified international approach to regulating AI, warning against a scenario where the transformative technology becomes the exclusive game of a few countries and companies.
“AI should be a common good for all of humanity. China stands ready to share its development experience, innovations, and AI products with the international community, particularly with countries in the Global South,” Li said.
The WAIC 2025 convenes at a time of heightened tech tensions between the world’s two largest economies. Washington has imposed stringent export restrictions on China, targeting advanced AI chips produced by companies like Nvidia, and limiting access to chipmaking equipment citing national security and military concerns.
Despite such curbs, China continues to make significant strides in AI research and development. The Shanghai conference this year drew participation from over 800 companies, showcasing more than 3,000 cutting-edge products, 40 large language models, 50 AI-enabled devices, and 60 intelligent robots.
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today delivered remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China.
With the theme “Global Solidarity in the AI Era,” the conference attracted over 1,000 distinguished… pic.twitter.com/tZ4RSDiDa1
— ASEAN (@ASEAN) July 26, 2025
Chinese tech giants such as Huawei, Alibaba, and robotics startup Unitree featured prominently among the exhibitors. Western firms like Tesla, Amazon, and Google-parent Alphabet also participated, though Tesla CEO Elon Musk was notably absent from this year’s event.
At a high-level roundtable during the conference, China’s Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said Beijing is considering establishing the headquarters of the proposed global AI body in Shanghai. The forum included delegates from over 30 countries, including Russia, Germany, South Korea, South Africa, and Qatar.
China’s foreign ministry also released an online “Action Plan for Global AI Governance,” inviting governments, corporations, research institutions, and international organizations to collaborate on developing a broadly supported framework for AI regulation. The plan advocates open-source collaboration and cross-border exchanges to bridge gaps in regulatory philosophies and technical standards.
Saturday’s sessions featured renowned experts, including Geoffrey Hinton, often called the ‘Godfather of AI’ and Anne Bouverot, the French president’s special envoy on AI, alongside former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
