Chinese President Xi Jinping used the WAIC 2026 platform to argue that artificial intelligence should be advanced through broad international cooperation rather than by any one country acting on its own. His remarks framed AI as a field that should be shaped collectively, with an emphasis on shared development and wider participation.
A key part of the message was support for developing countries. Xi announced backing for 5,000 AI research projects in those nations, signaling an effort to expand access to AI research and development beyond the world’s biggest technology powers.
China also introduced the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation, or WAICO, with 29 founding members. The move points to a push for a more structured international platform focused on AI collaboration, as governments and institutions debate how the technology should be governed and distributed.
The speech highlights China’s attempt to present itself as a supporter of multilateral AI development at a time when competition over advanced technology is intensifying. By linking cooperation, research support and a new international body, Beijing is positioning AI as both a strategic industry and a subject for global coordination.
