Xi Jinping calls for global AI cooperation, criticizes US tech restrictions

Chinese President Xi Jinping used a major artificial intelligence conference in Shanghai to advocate for global cooperation on AI development while criticizing what he characterized as the overreach of national security concerns in technology sharing.

Speaking at the opening of China's annual World AI Conference on Friday, Xi argued that AI advancement should be a collective effort rather than dominated by any single nation. The remarks come as US-led export controls have restricted China's access to advanced semiconductor technology, intensifying competition between the world's two largest economies.

"The development of artificial intelligence should not be a solo performance by any single country but rather a symphony of global cooperation," Xi told attendees including leaders from Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Thailand, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

China launches alternative AI governance framework

Ahead of the conference, 29 countries including Pakistan, Russia, and Kazakhstan signed an agreement with China to establish a World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. The intergovernmental body, headquartered in Shanghai, is designed to promote global AI governance outside Western-led frameworks.

The initiative represents China's response to the US-led Pax Silica framework launched in late 2024, which focuses on AI supply chain collaboration among American allies including Japan, the UK, Australia, and India, according to George Chen, partner at The Asia Group consultancy who attended the conference.

Xi announced that China will provide 5,000 AI training opportunities to developing countries over the next five years and offer 30 nations access to a Chinese-developed AI meteorological early warning system. He also pledged to expand AI cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the League of Arab States, the African Union, and other regional organizations.

Why it matters

China's push to establish alternative AI governance structures reflects the growing bifurcation of global technology ecosystems. As US export controls limit China's access to cutting-edge chips, Beijing is positioning itself as a technology partner for developing nations—offering open-source AI models like DeepSeek that are often more affordable than closed-source American alternatives. This competition extends beyond technology into questions of which standards and governance frameworks will shape AI development worldwide, with significant implications for data privacy, safety protocols, and economic access.

Chinese AI capabilities on display

The conference, running through Monday with more than 1,100 companies and 1,400 participants, showcased China's advancing AI capabilities. Huawei demonstrated its Atlas 950 SuperPoD computing system, while Chinese startup Moonshot released its Kimi K3 model, claiming 2.8 trillion parameters would make it the world's largest open-source AI model.

Some technology analysts now view China as an AI innovator rather than merely catching up to the United States. China's five-year plan through 2030 prioritizes AI among other frontier technologies.

However, US policymakers and several major American AI companies, including Anthropic, have accused Chinese AI firms of illicitly extracting technology from their models through a process called "distillation"—claims Beijing has dismissed as groundless.

These details were first reported by the Associated Press.