Chinese President Xi Jinping has unveiled 5,000 artificial intelligence (AI) training opportunities for developing nations over the next five years, as China intensifies efforts to shape global AI governance and bridge the digital divide between developed and developing countries.
Speaking on Friday at the opening ceremony of the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, Xi also announced plans to establish international AI application cooperation centres with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the African Union (AU), the League of Arab States, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and BRICS.
The Chinese leader said the initiative would strengthen AI capacity in the Global South and promote equitable access to emerging technologies.
“AI development should not be a solo performance by a single country, but a symphony of international cooperation,” Xi said.
He also announced that the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO), first proposed by China last year, has officially been established in Shanghai, describing it as a major milestone in global AI governance and a response to calls from developing countries for a more inclusive international AI framework.
Xi outlined four principles for global AI governance, urging countries to promote open innovation, strengthen AI safety and security, encourage inclusiveness and cultural diversity, and improve multilateral governance under the United Nations.
He warned that while AI offers unprecedented opportunities for economic and social development, it also presents security, ethical, and governance risks that require coordinated international action.
“AI should be a trusted tool for humanity,” Xi said, calling for stronger laws, regulatory frameworks, technological monitoring, early warning systems, and emergency response mechanisms to prevent abuse and ensure AI remains under human control.
At the same time, he cautioned against expanding national security restrictions in ways that hinder international AI cooperation.
Xi said China has made AI a key driver of its economic transformation, noting that the country’s core smart economy industries are now worth more than one trillion yuan and that AI applications are increasingly improving manufacturing, public services, and daily life.
He added that China has continued to strengthen its AI regulatory framework, ethical standards, and governance mechanisms to ensure the technology develops safely and responsibly.
Highlighting China’s international role, Xi said Beijing has promoted the adoption of a United Nations General Assembly resolution on AI capacity building, launched the AI Capacity Building Action Plan for Good and for All, and introduced the AI Plus International Cooperation Initiative.
Beyond the 5,000 training opportunities, Xi announced that China would enable 30 countries to access its AI-powered meteorological warning system, MAZU, to improve disaster preparedness and protect vulnerable communities.
He called on the international community to work together to ensure AI advances sustainable development rather than widening global inequalities.
“As AI advances at a staggering speed, we must ensure its development is for the positive, for good and for humanity,” Xi said. “We should always guide AI development with human wisdom and international consensus so that AI can truly become a mighty force that increases the well-being of humanity and advances human civilisation.”
