On July 16, a day before the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, officials from 29 countries signed an agreement establishing a new body: the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO). The event was attended by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the deputy prime ministers of Kazakhstan, Laos, and Pakistan, among other dignitaries. Foreign Minister Wang Yi represented China at the signing ceremony.
The new organization, first proposed by China at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, will be headquartered in Shanghai and is meant to operate as an independent intergovernmental entity. WAICO’s stated aim is to promote international cooperation on AI so that it remains beneficial, safe, and fair for all, in line with the principles of the U.N. Charter and with a people-centered approach.
In his address at the opening of the 2026 WAIC the next day, President Xi Jinping set out China’s view that AI development should be a shared endeavor across nations, rather than something driven by a single nation. He announced plans to provide 5,000 training spots for developing countries over the next five years and to establish cooperation centers with groups like ASEAN, the African Union, and BRICS.
