Xi Jinping calls for global AI governance, challenges US dominance at Shanghai tech conference

At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, Chinese President Xi Jinping challenged United States technological dominance by calling for a collaborative global AI order. Xi promoted low-cost, open-source technology as a public good for the Global South, announcing 5,000 training opportunities for developing nations. The summit coincided with the launch of the China-led World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) alongside 28 other countries, and the release of Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 model, highlighting China's rapid progress in closing the performance gap with US rivals.

Xi Jinping AI summit address

• ▪Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China will provide developing countries with 5,000 opportunities in artificial intelligence training and seminar programs over the next five years.
• ▪Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an opening address at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 17, 2026, marking his first appearance at the flagship event since its launch in 2018.
• ▪Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that artificial intelligence development should be a symphony of international cooperation rather than a solo performance by a single country.

US-China AI technology competition

• ▪The United States Commerce Department issued a notice in May affirming that licensing requirements for advanced artificial intelligence chip exports apply to all Chinese-headquartered parent companies and their subsidiaries outside China.
• ▪The United States and China are the leading competitors in the global race to develop artificial intelligence, with the United States retaining a lead in advanced chips and frontier computing infrastructure.
• ▪Nvidia stated in its fiscal year 2026 annual report that export restrictions effectively foreclosed the company from competing in China's data center computing market.

Chinese AI model global adoption

• ▪A growing number of international companies, including Siemens in 2026, are adopting Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models due to lower operating costs and customization capabilities.
• ▪Daily consumption of artificial intelligence tokens in China has increased a thousandfold over the past two years, according to Chinese state media.

China WAICO international organization launch

• ▪The World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization is designed to promote consultation and collaboration among member states to ensure the healthy and orderly development of artificial intelligence.
• ▪China, Russia, Pakistan, Indonesia, and 25 other countries signed an agreement on July 16, 2026, to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization headquartered in Shanghai.

AI governance security concerns

• ▪Chinese President Xi Jinping urged countries to establish laws, regulations, technological monitoring, early warning, and emergency response systems to ensure artificial intelligence remains under human control.
• ▪Chinese President Xi Jinping opposed overstretching the concept of national security in the field of artificial intelligence or placing one country's security over that of others.

DeepSeek Zhipu performance advances

• ▪Chinese artificial intelligence firms DeepSeek and Zhipu have made significant technological advances toward closing the performance gap with United States competitors.
• ▪Beijing-based startup Moonshot AI released its Kimi K3 model on July 17, 2026, describing it as the world's largest open artificial intelligence model by parameter count.