China’s World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization: Shaping Global AI Governance I
Dr. Syed Mehboob
Political and Economic Analyst
http//:www.thenewslark.com
[email protected]
Artificial Intelligence (AI), the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. The term is frequently applied to the project of developing systems endowed with the intellectual processes characteristic of humans, such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from experience.
China is a country that believes in sharing the benefits of technology for the development, progress, and prosperity of its partners and in creating a win-win situation. The World Artificial Intelligence Organization (WAICO) is a unique and highly beneficial initiative of China, which was launched on July 16, 2026, in Shanghai, as an independent intergovernmental body to shape Artificial Intelligence Governance ( AIG). Its aim is to focus on Artificial Intelligence ( AI), cooperate to develop and to use it for the welfare of human being and to secure nations from its harmful use. Headquartered in Shanghai, it is oriented toward the Global South.
The World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) is a premier global event dedicated to exploring the frontiers of AI technology and driving innovation in the field. Since its inception, the conference has brought together over 8,100 top scientists, experts, entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders worldwide. Through a rich array of forums, exhibitions, awards, competitions, and interactive experiences, WAIC provides the global AI community with a vital platform to showcase cutting-edge research, discuss industry trends, and accelerate the growth of innovative projects. This conference is part of Global Connectivity for WAICO.
The World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization was first proposed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang in July 2025. CCP Central Secretary General and President of China, His Excellency XI Jinping, reiterated the proposal at the 32nd meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in October 2025.
On 16 July 2026, 29 countries signed the agreement on the creation of the WAICO on the eve of the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres attended the signing ceremony as a guest. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi signed the agreement alongside senior representatives from founding members, including Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Jaslan Mädiev, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Russian official Maxim Oreshkin, and Indonesian Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartarto.
The agreement establishes WAICO as a China-led intergovernmental organization, designed to be open to all sovereign states while primarily focusing on digital development in the Global South. China's positioning within the organization heavily emphasizes the adoption of open-source artificial intelligence. This focus coincided with increasing international adoption of Chinese open-weight models, such as those from DeepSeek, Kimi, and Z.ai, which grew to account for around 40% of token usage among surveyed US firms by mid-2026. Following the initial ceremony, several additional states acceded to the agreement in late July 2026, including Iran, whose ambassador Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli signed the charter following bilateral meetings with Deputy Foreign Minister Liu Bin.
Twenty-nine countries signed the founding agreement on 16 July 2026 in Shanghai, followed by eight additional signatories later that month, bringing the total membership to 37 countries. Those who signed this agreement include Algeria, Belarus, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, China, Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Malaysia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Russia. Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Zambia. Later: Dominica, Brunei, Georgia, Iran, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Vietnam also joined this organization.
As specified by the founding treaty, WAICO consists of a council and a secretariat. The council consists of all member states and serves as the highest decision-making authority, responsible for admitting new members and observers, appointing the secretary-general and deputy secretaries-general, and establishing subsidiary bodies or working groups. The secretariat is headed by one Secretary-General and two deputy secretaries-general, each serving three-year terms.
This is an important move China has made to practice multilateralism and promote a style of global governance that features extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefits. It is also noted that it is a concrete action taken by China in response to the call of the Global South to bridge the digital and intelligence divide, and to promote the inclusive development of AI and the use of AI for good. China expects the organization to serve as a platform for countries to deepen cooperation on innovation, promote pragmatic cooperation to fully unleash the unlimited potential of AI, and achieve common development and prosperity. Through this platform, China hopes to assist countries in the Global South to strengthen their capacity-building, nurture an AI innovation ecosystem, ensure that developing countries benefit equally from waves of AI, and promote the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Further goals for the organization are to enhance the coordination and alignment of development strategies, governance rules and technical standards among countries, and to gradually form a global framework and international standards for AI governance that have broad consensus, based on full respect for the differences in policies and practices among countries.
By establishing the organization's headquarters in Shanghai, China hopes to leverage its advantage in AI -- and Shanghai's advantage, in particular -- to boost cooperation, according to the sources. China stands ready to discuss relevant arrangements with countries that are willing to join the organization.
In his opening remarks at the conference in Shanghai on July 17, Xi reiterated the CCP’s prioritization of “true multilateralism.” China’s multilateralism equally rests on cyber sovereignty as a norm, which entails a model of global digital governance that is functionally unencumbered by international human rights law and internet freedom principles.
Institutions matter not only for the principles they proclaim or succeed at influencing directly, but also for their ability to convene governments, train officials, set technical standards, coordinate research, and build durable networks. These activities gradually shape what becomes accepted as international best practice.
The same week WAICO launched, China reinforced such global posturing with its Position Paper on Global Cyber Governance in the Digital Intelligent Age, presented to the UN’s Global Mechanism on ICT Security. Again, China promotes respect for cyber sovereignty, allowing states to independently choose their AI technologies, and upholding multilateralism.
This year’s event featured a keynote speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping, as well as over 1,100 international AI companies showcasing more than 3,000 cutting-edge products and technologies, including over 300 global debuts, such as an agentic AI smartphone, which can operate autonomously rather than simply responding to users’ commands. The event also welcomed other world leaders, including United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
In his keynote speech at the conference’s opening, Xi said that AI is emerging as a new engine of economic growth and is moving from the “digital world” into the “physical world.”
“We should seize this opportunity to promote open collaboration, accelerate innovation, and expand real-world applications so that AI can empower industries across the economy,” Xi said. He also called for enhanced alignment and coordination to develop a consensus-based global AI governance framework that better benefits humanity. Xi’s attendance reflects that the event aligns with the country’s broader national priorities. Xi also announced that China will invite 5,000 individuals from developing countries to partake in AI training opportunities over the next five years. ( Continued )
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