SHANGHAI — According to Chinese state media and remarks delivered Friday at the opening of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled Beijing’s most ambitious artificial intelligence strategy to date, promoting open-source AI as the foundation of future global innovation while positioning China as an alternative to U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence governance. 

In his keynote address, Xi urged countries to embrace what he called a “rare historic opportunity” created by artificial intelligence and argued that AI development should be based on openness, collaboration, and shared technological progress rather than being dominated by any single nation.

Although Xi did not mention the United States by name, his remarks were widely interpreted as a response to Washington’s export controls on advanced semiconductors, AI chips, and other technologies that have limited China’s access to cutting-edge computing hardware. Xi warned against countries using national security as justification for restricting technological cooperation and said such actions risk creating “new historical injustices” between developed and developing nations. 

China is increasingly promoting open-source AI models as a strategic advantage over the proprietary approach favored by many leading American companies. Chinese developers, including Moonshot AI, have recently introduced increasingly capable open-weight models, while firms such as DeepSeek and others continue expanding their international reach.

Xi announced the creation of the World AI Cooperation Organisation (WAICO), headquartered in Shanghai, with 29 participating countries. The organization is intended to coordinate international AI governance, technical standards, research cooperation, and technology sharing, particularly among developing nations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. 

China also committed to providing 5,000 AI training opportunities over the next five years for professionals from developing countries and expanding access to Chinese AI-powered public services, including meteorological forecasting systems designed to improve disaster preparedness. 

While emphasizing openness, Xi also called for stronger safeguards surrounding advanced AI systems. He urged governments to ensure human oversight, improve early-warning mechanisms for emerging AI risks, and establish international governance frameworks that keep artificial intelligence under meaningful human control. 

The speech comes as competition between the world’s two largest economies increasingly centers on artificial intelligence. The United States continues to lead many frontier AI systems through companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, while China has accelerated domestic AI development following U.S. export restrictions on advanced chips and semiconductor equipment. Beijing has increasingly emphasized open-source ecosystems and domestically developed computing infrastructure as a way to reduce dependence on foreign technology. 

More than 1,100 companies participated in this year’s Shanghai conference, including major Chinese technology firms showcasing new AI chips, computing clusters, robotics, and large language models. The event highlighted China’s determination to become a central player in setting global AI standards as governments worldwide race to establish rules governing one of the fastest-growing technologies in history. 

JBizNews Desk | Shanghai

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