Twenty-nine countries signed an agreement on 16 July to establish the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO), Reuters reported. China says the intergovernmental body aims to promote international cooperation and global governance in AI.
China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, signed on behalf of Beijing. UN Secretary-General António Guterres attended the ceremony. The founding members include Russia, Belarus, Serbia, Cuba, Brazil, and Venezuela, along with 10 African and 12 Asian countries.
The organisation will sit in Shanghai, state agency Xinhua said. China proposed WAICO at last year’s conference, but no country had formally announced membership until now.
Timed for the AI summit
The signing took place on the eve of the 2026 World AI Conference in Shanghai. Xi Jinping is due to open the event in person for the first time. He is expected to outline China’s vision for global AI governance.
