China has intensified the global artificial intelligence race by unveiling plans for a new international AI cooperation organization, directly challenging US dominance in the field.
The announcement came during the opening of the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on July 26, where Chinese Premier Li Qiang revealed the initiative as part of a broader global action plan for AI governance. The three-day conference, themed "Global Solidarity in the AI Era," attracted over 1,200 participants from more than 30 countries.
The proposed organization represents China's commitment to multilateralism in AI development and aims to create a governance framework based on broad consensus. According to official sources, Shanghai is being tentatively considered as the headquarters location. The initiative specifically targets countries in the Global South, with China positioning itself as responding to their calls for bridging the digital and intelligence divide.
"China attaches great importance to global AI governance and has been actively promoting multilateral and bilateral cooperation," Li stated during his address. He emphasized China's "AI plus" strategy for integrating the technology across industries and expressed willingness to help other nations, particularly developing economies outside US and European spheres of influence.
The timing is significant, coming just days after US President Donald Trump announced an American AI action plan focused on reducing what he termed "woke bias" in AI models and supporting US tech deployment overseas. Since 2022, the US has restricted China's access to advanced semiconductors for AI model training, though China has been developing domestic alternatives.
The Shanghai conference showcased China's AI prowess with over 800 companies exhibiting more than 3,000 products, including 40 large language models and 60 intelligent robots. Notable international participants included former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who met with Shanghai officials ahead of the conference, and AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton.
Experts view China's initiative as part of a broader strategy to create an alternative to Western-dominated AI governance structures while promoting technology sharing with developing nations aligned with its Belt and Road Initiative.