Chinese President Xi Jinping called for greater cooperation on artificial intelligence among developing countries to close the international technology gap, as Beijing used a major domestic tech event to project its ambitions to a global audience.
Speaking in person on July 17 at the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai for the first time, Xi said China has strengthened its innovations in AI, which Beijing regards as a strategic technology critical for self-reliance and in which it is narrowing the gap with the US
Noting that the smart industry economy is worth at least RMB 1 trillion (USD 147.5 billion), Xi said China will provide developing countries with 5,000 AI training opportunities over the next five years.
“AI development should not be a solo performance by a single country, but a symphony of international cooperation,” Xi said.
Guests at the WAIC included Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul—an unusual convergence of two leaders overseeing a fragile detente following border clashes late last year—as well as ASEAN secretary general Kao Kim Hourn.
Chinese state media highlighted Beijing’s engagement with the Thai and Cambodian leaders as part of its efforts to help resolve the two Southeast Asian states’ border dispute.
Ahead of the four-day conference, on July 16, China inked an agreement to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization with 29 countries including Indonesia, Laos, Pakistan, and Russia. Based in Shanghai, the organization aims to promote cooperation and global governance on AI.
Held since 2018, this year’s conference drew more than 1,100 companies showcasing over 3,000 exhibits, according to the organizers.
One is Shanghai startup StepFun, which brought the StepX Neo, billed as the world’s first “agentic” AI smartphone capable of carrying out multiple tasks across apps using large language models.
Server maker Dawning Information Industry was due to showcase the Sugon Dawn 8000 Dengfeng, a domestically developed supercomputing and AI platform designed to support research and industrial upgrades.
The displays reflect Beijing’s determination to prioritize AI development as a driver of a new wave of scientific and industrial transformation.
Chairing a Communist Party Politburo study session on AI in April 2025, Xi called on the country “to seize this critical moment and win superiority” by mastering core technologies such as advanced semiconductors and foundational software.
He also called for strengthening governance rules and technical standards, while helping developing countries in the global south enhance their capabilities.
“The WAIC has steadily evolved into a policy-oriented forum, with Beijing using it to deliver key messages on AI cooperation, safety and what officials now call ‘AI diplomacy,'” said George Chen, partner and chair of digital practice at advisory firm The Asia Group.
China, Chen added, sees an opportunity to present itself as a more stable partner in AI development for emerging countries amid uncertainty surrounding US export controls on American company Anthropic’s Claude models.
On July 17, Xi also pledged to ensure equal access to AI capacity building for developing countries to prevent the creation of “new historical injustices” and urged the international community to jointly oppose overstretching the concept of national security in the field of AI.
China is rising as a counterweight to the US in AI, Stanford University said in its 2026 AI report, finding that Anthropic’s leading model outperformed Chinese rival DeepSeek’s score by just 2.7 percentage points as of March.
China accounted for 17.8% of AI research publications in 2024, compared to 11.1% from Europe and 7.29% from the US, according to the report. While the US ranked highest in top-cited publications between 2021–2024, its share had gradually declined, while China’s, in second place, had increased.
The race has inflamed the often bitter rivalry between the world’s two largest economies. Last month, Anthropic accused China’s Alibaba Group of illicitly copying Claude.
Xi said AI offers both opportunities and risks, and told the WAIC that countries should establish a global governance framework for the technology and enhance alignment on technical standards.
This article first appeared on Nikkei Asia. It has been republished here as part of 36Kr’s ongoing partnership with Nikkei.
Note: RMB figures are converted to USD at rates of RMB 6.78 = USD 1 based on estimates as of July 21, 2026, unless otherwise stated. USD conversions are presented for ease of reference and may not fully match prevailing exchange rates.