Source: Xinhua News Agency
On the morning of July 17, President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2026 and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance at the World Meeting Room in Shanghai and delivered a keynote speech.
By the Huangpu River, a new tide is rising. The World Meeting Room gathered distinguished guests.
Xi Jinping posed for a group photo with attending heads of state, heads of government, leaders of international organizations, and delegation leaders from various countries.
Amid warm applause, Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech titled "Working Together to Build a Just and Equitable Global Governance System for Artificial Intelligence".
Xi Jinping pointed out that the world is undergoing profound changes at a scale not seen in a century, and a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating, with global AI technological innovation entering an unprecedented period of activity, bringing both tremendous opportunities and governance challenges. Humanity is confronted with the question of our time: How should humans interact with thinking machines? How can safety be ensured when algorithms participate in decision-making? How can governance keep pace when technology challenges ethics? How can inclusivity be achieved as the divide widens? China believes that countries should uphold a people-centered, upward and good-oriented philosophy, make AI an important source of impetus for promoting common prosperity and safeguarding common security, and work together to build a just and equitable global governance system for AI.
Xi Jinping put forward four proposals in this regard:
First, we should uphold openness and win-win cooperation to drive innovation and development. We should seize the rare historical opportunity, encourage open-source and open, cooperative sharing, comprehensively promote AI technological innovation, industrial development, and scenario applications, and coordinate efforts to upgrade traditional industries, cultivate and expand emerging industries, and strategically plan for future industries, enabling AI to empower industries across the board.
Second, we should strengthen risk awareness to ensure safety and controllability. We should attach great importance to various inherent and derivative risks arising from AI, promote the establishment of systems for laws and regulations, technical monitoring, risk warning, and emergency response, safeguard the bottom line of safety, prevent misuse and malicious use, and ensure AI remains under human control. We should jointly oppose the practice of overgeneralizing the concept of national security in the field of AI and prioritizing one country's security over that of others.
Third, we should encourage inclusiveness to promote mutual learning among civilizations. We should shape the values of AI with the common values of humanity, leverage AI technology to enhance understanding and tolerance among different civilizations, facilitate exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations, and cultivate a garden of civilizations where each preserves its beauty and all share in the splendor.
Fourth, we should advocate solidarity and collaboration to improve global governance. We should practice true multilateralism, give full play to the important role of the United Nations, strengthen alignment and coordination of AI development strategies, governance rules, and technical standards, and strive to develop a global governance framework with broad consensus at an early date, so that this cutting-edge technology can better benefit human society. We should help Global South countries strengthen capacity building, bridge the digital and AI divide, promote sustainable development, and avoid creating new historical injustice in the AI field.
Xi Jinping emphasized that this year marks the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan. The 15th Five-Year Plan outlines the blueprint for China's economic and social development over the next five years and also provides a list of opportunities for the international community. In recent years, China has combined an effective market with a proactive government, strengthened AI technological innovation, actively promoted the "AI Plus" initiative, fostered a healthy ecosystem where various entities coexist and thrive, with the core industry scale of the intelligent economy exceeding 10 trillion RMB, and "Intelligent Manufacturing China" has become another bright name card of Chinese modernization. At the same time, China prioritizes both development and security, continuously improving relevant laws and regulations, policy systems, application norms, and ethical guidelines to ensure AI is safe, reliable, and controllable. As a responsible major country, China has always been committed to being a provider of international public goods in the field of AI, consistently contributing Chinese solutions.
Xi Jinping pointed out that with the joint efforts of all parties, the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) has emerged in Shanghai. This is a major step taken by China in response to the call of the Global South and in uniting the international community to actively promote AI development and governance, and it will become an important milestone in the history of AI development. To further support global AI development and advance global AI capacity building, in the next five years, China will provide 5,000 specialized AI training placements for developing countries; build International AI Application Cooperation Centers for ASEAN, the Arab League, the African Union, CELAC, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS countries; and promote the application of the "Mazu" meteorological intelligent warning system in 30 countries. China is willing to work with all parties, with a more open attitude, more practical actions, and a longer-term vision, to grasp and address the opportunities and challenges brought by AI development and jointly create a brighter future for human society.
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered speeches respectively. They warmly congratulated the signing ceremony of the Agreement on the Establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization in Shanghai, highly commended China's important contributions to promoting global AI governance, and responded positively to the initiatives and measures proposed by President Xi Jinping. They stated that AI holds the potential to be humanity's greatest development opportunity but also harbors risks. China advocates for AI that is good, inclusive, and safe and controllable, actively helps developing countries strengthen relevant capacity building, and promotes international AI cooperation, demonstrating its sense of responsibility as a major country. AI technology should be shared and governed by all countries, benefiting all nations fairly, serving the sustainable development of all humanity, and bridging the global digital/AI divide and the North-South development gap. The opportunities and challenges brought by AI transcend national borders and require joint cooperation to grasp and address. They expressed hope and belief that the WAICO will play an important role in this regard, and through open, inclusive, equal, and mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly forge a secure, prosperous future where no country is left behind.
The Conference issued the "Chair's Statement of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2026 and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance".
On the evening of July 16, Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, held a welcome banquet for the distinguished international guests at the World Meeting Room.
Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Wang Yi, and others attended the aforementioned activities.
Chen Jining presided over the opening ceremony.
