Chinese President Xi Jinping used the 2026 World AI Conference in Shanghai to announce the launch of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, or WAICO, a new international body designed to set global AI standards and governance norms. The move is Beijing’s most explicit bid yet to challenge Washington’s grip on how the world regulates artificial intelligence.
In a keynote titled “Joining Hands to Build a Just and Equitable System for Global AI Governance,” Xi laid out four principles for international AI development: openness and win-win cooperation, risk awareness and controllability, inclusiveness and mutual learning, and solidarity in governance through multilateral platforms like the UN. He also pledged 5,000 training opportunities for developing countries, with collaboration targeting regional blocs including ASEAN and BRICS.
The geopolitical chess match over AI rules
The US approach to AI governance has leaned heavily on export controls and national security restrictions, particularly around advanced chips and frontier AI models. Xi’s speech directly criticized this tendency to prioritize security interests over cooperation, though he didn’t name any country specifically.
