Xi pledges China’s AI leadership and 5,000 training spots

Chinese President Xi Jinping positioned China as a leader in global artificial intelligence governance and called for extensive international cooperation during a major speech in Shanghai on Friday, July 17, 2026. Addressing the World AI Conference, Xi outlined a state-centric vision for AI development that challenges U.S. dominance in the strategic field.

Xi emphasized that AI development should not be a solo performance by a single country, but a symphony of international cooperation. He announced China would offer 5,000 AI training and seminar opportunities for developing countries over the next five years and help establish international AI application cooperation centers. This initiative, framed as promoting equity and preventing new historical injustices, aims to draw developing economies closer into China's technological and political orbit.

The speech came a day after nearly 30 countries, including Russia, Brazil, and Indonesia, formally established the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) in Shanghai. Xi described the new body as an important milestone. Analysts say the organization is designed to give Beijing significant influence over...