Twenty-nine countries just signed up for China’s vision of the AI future. Not one of them mentioned crypto.
On July 16, representatives from 29 nations gathered in Shanghai to formally establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, or WAICO. The independent intergovernmental body, proposed by China at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, is designed to coordinate global AI development around principles of safety, fairness, and inclusivity. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attended the signing ceremony.
Who’s in the room, and who isn’t
The founding member list includes Russia, Belarus, Serbia, Cuba, Brazil, and Venezuela among the 29 signatories. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi represented Beijing at the ceremony, which took place on the eve of the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai.
President Xi Jinping is expected to outline China’s broader global vision for AI at the WAIC. The initiative traces back to China’s 2017 national AI plan, which set an explicit target: become the world’s leader in artificial intelligence by 2030.
