Xi Jinping Announces Global AI Initiatives, Offering 5,000 Training Slots To Developing Countries
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the establishment of a new international body for artificial intelligence and a sweeping package of aid for the Global South during a keynote address at the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance on Friday.
The new body, named the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), has officially been launched in Shanghai. Speaking to an international audience, Xi framed the organization as a milestone for global collaboration, stating that “AI development should not be a solo performance by a single country, but a symphony of international cooperation.”
To support global capacity building over the next five years, China pledged to provide 5,000 training and seminar opportunities in AI for developing nations. Additionally, the country plans to establish international AI application cooperation centers in partnership with major regional blocs, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the African Union, the League of Arab States, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS.
China also committed to deploying “MAZU,” its proprietary AI-powered meteorological warning system, to 30 countries to aid in disaster prevention.
Four Pillars for Global Governance
As the world enters what Xi described as an “unprecedented period of active innovation” where algorithms increasingly drive decision-making, China proposed a four-part framework to guide global AI governance:
Innovation and Open Source: Encouraging open-source collaboration and integrating AI into both traditional and emerging physical industries.
Security and Control: Establishing strict technological monitoring, emergency response systems, and legal frameworks to ensure AI remains under human control. Xi explicitly opposed “overstretching the national security concept” to restrict other countries’ AI development.
Cultural Inclusiveness: Safeguarding cultural diversity and aligning AI systems with common human values rather than eroding regional uniqueness.
Multilateralism: Recognizing the central role of the United Nations in establishing a consensus-based global governance framework to prevent a widening digital divide.
domestic Scale and Safety Efforts
Domestically, Xi noted that China’s core smart economy industries have surpassed a market valuation of RMB 1 trillion yuan ($138 billion USD). The expansion spans consumer smart devices to intelligent manufacturing systems.
Coinciding with the start of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, the Chinese leader emphasized that domestic expansion is being paired with updated regulatory mechanisms, ethical principles, and application norms to ensure the technology remains “safe, secure, and controllable.”
