Shanghai, July 17, 2026 — Wang Yi, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China and China’s foreign minister, received Maxim Oreshkin, deputy chief of staff of the Russian Presidential Executive Office, who was attending the World AI Conference. Wang welcomed the Russian government’s signing of the agreement establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), saying the move reflects the high level of China–Russia ties.
A shared commitment to WAICO
Wang highlighted Russia’s participation in the conference and its accession to the WAICO founding agreement. He framed President Xi Jinping’s opening address at the World AI Conference as a roadmap to develop artificial intelligence “for the benefit of humanity” in a healthy, safe and orderly manner — principles China intends to advance within WAICO. For his part, Maxim Oreshkin called the initiative “important” and said Russia, now a founding member, is prepared to contribute to the organization’s development.
Sino‑Russian AI cooperation and practical outlook
Wang stressed the pair’s “strategic coordination partnership for a new era,” noting sustained mutual support on international and regional issues. He proposed that China and Russia cooperate through consultation, joint contribution and benefit sharing to promote healthier, safer AI development — including strengthening capabilities in Global South countries so AI can become a driver of growth for the bilateral partnership.
Political dialogue and the bilateral framework
Both officials reiterated that, under the strategic leadership of Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, China–Russia relations retain “strong resilience and vitality.” Wang described the mutual trust between the heads of state as the fundamental guarantee for bilateral development and called for their commitments to be translated into concrete progress and “higher‑quality” cooperation. Speaking for the Russian government, Oreshkin reaffirmed Moscow’s intention to maintain high‑level exchanges and deepen practical cooperation, including through multilateral coordination.
By positioning Russia as a WAICO founding member and reaffirming plans to deepen AI cooperation, Beijing and Moscow are laying institutional groundwork in a sector they treat as strategic. Official statements point to a cooperation agenda focused on governance, capacity building and promoting an “orderly” approach to AI at the international level.
