Chinese AI governance took center stage in Xi Jinping’s July 17 address at the World AI Conference 2026. While praising international cooperation and a “human-centered” approach, Xi also outlined a strategy aimed at expanding Beijing’s influence over global AI standards. The simultaneous announcement of a new “World AI Cooperation Organization” and the participation of 29 countries underscores China’s ambition — and has raised concerns among critics.
What Xi proposed from the podium
Xi Jinping called for promoting AI “for the positive, for the good, and for humanity,” arguing that “AI is an important engine for shared prosperity and common security” and advocating for “fair and equitable global AI governance.” He laid out four pillars: openness and sharing; risk management while preserving human oversight; inclusiveness and mutual learning among civilizations; and multilateralism centered on the UN and consensus-based rules.
Chinese AI governance: strategy and limits
These universal-sounding remarks serve a dual purpose. On one level they address technical and economic needs: China still relies on access to models, talent, chips, and open-source ecosystems, as observers like Henry Gao have noted. On another level, the emphasis on international cooperation gives Beijing a vehicle to export a set of AI norms and practices compatible with its political model — without necessarily embedding universal safeguards such as political or civil rights.
Targeting the Global South and exporting norms
The speech explicitly targeted developing countries. Xi pledged “5,000 AI training opportunities” over the next five years and announced plans to establish cooperation centers with regional organizations (ASEAN, the Arab League, the African Union, CELAC, the SCO, BRICS). These initiatives can meet real capacity-building needs, but they also risk serving as a channel to spread a normative vision of AI that may not prioritize fundamental rights.
A political jab at Western restrictions
Xi criticized the risk of “over-broadening the concept of national security in the AI domain,” a swipe at Western controls that limit Chinese access to certain technologies and know-how. That posture is seen as bold, even contradictory, given China’s past practices in securing strategic advantages.
