Xi Jinping positions China AI as alternative to US tech dominance at Shanghai conference
23 Sources
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Xi Jinping spearheads China's AI push
President Xi Jinping has opened China's flagship artificial intelligence conference as he seeks to turn the country's rapidly advancing AI capabilities into geopolitical power. Xi is presiding over the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, a day after China and nearly 30 countries
[2]
China's Xi to outline AI diplomacy vision at key Shanghai forum
BEIJING, July 16 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to outline an ambitious vision for China's role in global AI governance at a forum on Friday, as Huawei showcases its most advanced AI computing cluster yet in a sign of Beijing's drive to build a domestic alternative to U.S.
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Xi pitches China as AI partner to developing world, warns against risks and security overreach
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday positioned China as a partner in artificial intelligence to the Global South, saying that countries should come together to build AI and help developing countries as well. Speaking at the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Xi announced that China will provide
[4]
China's Xi calls for step up of global effort in AI, as US curbs squeeze China's tech access
SHANGHAI (AP) -- Development and governance of artificial intelligence should be a global effort, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday, while reiterating China's objections to what he called the "overstretching" of national security concerns. Speaking at a conference in Shanghai, Xi said AI
[5]
China Rewrites the 'Soft Power' Playbook for the A.I. Age
China is seeking global influence and good will with its open, low-cost artificial intelligence software. In the Cold War era, "soft power" meant American movies and music that won hearts and minds abroad. Today, in the digital era, China is touting a very different kind of soft power: its open,
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China's Xi Jinping Wants AI to Be Open to the World -- and Out of America's Control
On Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping had his first in-person appearance at his country's biggest artificial intelligence event, the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. In his long-awaited debut speech, Xi called for more open-source AI and cooperation across borders,
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Xi tells World AI Conference no single country should monopolise AI
The Chinese leader used his first keynote at the Shanghai summit to pitch open AI for the developing world, and to needle Washington without naming it. Xi Jinping told the World AI Conference in Shanghai on Friday that artificial intelligence "should not be a solo performance by a single country,
[8]
Xi Jinping of China Pitches 'Openness' in Push to Shape the Path of A.I.
Xi Jinping said that the development of artificial intelligence systems should be a "symphony of global collaboration." China's top leader on Friday laid out his nation's bid to shape the path of artificial intelligence, casting China as a champion of an open approach to the technology and a
[9]
China's Xi calls for step up of global effort in AI, as US curbs squeeze China's tech access
SHANGHAI -- Development and governance of artificial intelligence should be a global effort, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday, while reiterating China's objections to what he called the "overstretching" of national security concerns. Speaking at a conference in Shanghai, Xi said AI should
[10]
Xi Jinping positions China as open-source AI leader at WAIC 2026
Chinese President Xi Jinping used the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Friday to frame China as the leading advocate for open-source AI, pledging resources to developing nations and positioning Beijing as an alternative to Washington's approach to
[11]
Xi offers AI olive branch to the world, calling for 'symphony of global cooperation' | Fortune
Development and governance of artificial intelligence should be a global effort, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday, while reiterating China's objections to what he called the "overstretching" of national security concerns. Speaking at a conference in Shanghai, Xi said AI should not be
[12]
Xi urges united global AI push as US bans squeeze China's tech access
As US restrictions continue to limit China's access to advanced technology, Xi Jinping used a major summit to rally developing nations around Beijing's vision for AI. China's President Xi Jinping used a major AI summit on Friday to push back against US technology restrictions, calling for
[13]
China's Xi urges global cooperation on AI, warns against single-country dominance
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday artificial intelligence should not be dominated by any single country, calling for greater international cooperation on AI development and governance at a major conference in Shanghai. His remarks come as Chinese AI firms challenge US rivals and concerns
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Xi challenges US with push to lead new global AI order
Tokyo | President Xi Jinping has declared China will lead the creation of a new global artificial intelligence order, unveiling an ambitious diplomatic push to position Beijing - rather than Washington - at the centre of the technology's future governance. The address, at the opening of the World
[15]
China's Xi says AI should not be dominated by one country
Shanghai (AFP) - Artificial intelligence should not be dominated by a single country, China's President Xi Jinping said Friday, urging international cooperation on its development at a major conference in Shanghai. Chinese AI models are catching up to the most powerful US offerings, while
[16]
China's Xi calls for more global efforts to guide AI, chides US for its curbs on tech sharing
SHANGHAI (AP) -- Development and governance of artificial intelligence should be a global effort, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday, while reiterating China's objections to what he called the "overstretching" of national security concerns. Speaking at a conference in Shanghai, Xi said AI
[17]
China's Xi Calls for Step up of Global Effort in AI, as US Curbs Squeeze China's Tech Access
SHANGHAI (AP) -- Development and governance of artificial intelligence should be a global effort, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday, while reiterating China's objections to what he called the "overstretching" of national security concerns. Speaking at a conference in Shanghai, Xi said AI
[18]
AI should not be 'solo performance' but 'symphony of global collaboration': Xi Jinping
At WAIC 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for global AI collaboration and announced support for 5,000 AI research projects in developing countries. China also launched the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO) with 29 founding member nations. Chinese President Xi
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Xi Jinping Rejects AI 'Solo Performance' by One Country as China's Kimi K3 Lands to Challenge OpenAI, Ant
Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) on Friday, highlighting the need for international cooperation in AI development. Xi voiced China's readiness to pursue greater openness and practical action in AI development. He stressed the importance
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China's AI ascendance gives Xi a stage and a security dilemma
The rise of China's AI models is handing President Xi Jinping new bragging rights and a stronger claim to shaping the technology's global rules, even as their growing power stirs security alarm in Washington and Beijing alike. Xi is expected to make his case in his debut at the World AI Conference
[21]
Xi pitches China as leader of new global AI order, challenging US dominance
Chinese President Xi Jinping promoted open-source artificial intelligence at a major tech conference. He urged nations to embrace this technology and pledged support for developing countries. China aims to shape global AI governance and create new standards for the sector. This initiative positions
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Chinese president calls for global governance effort over AI | BreakingNews
The development and governance of artificial intelligence (AI) should be a global effort, Chinese president Xi Jinping said, while reiterating China's objections to what he called the "overstretching" of national security concerns. Speaking at a conference in Shanghai, Mr Xi said AI should not be
[23]
Xi pitches China as leader of new global AI order, challenging US dominance
SHANGHAI, July 17 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday cast Beijing as the champion of a new global AI order, using China's premier tech conference to promote open-source technology and challenge U.S. influence over the rules governing the fast-moving sector. In a speech to the
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Xi Jinping presided over the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, where 29 countries signed up to join the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. The Chinese president announced 5,000 AI training opportunities for developing nations while criticizing what he called the overstretching of national security concerns—a veiled reference to US export controls that have blocked China's access to advanced chips.
Xi Jinping Leads China's AI Diplomacy Push at Shanghai Summit
Xi Jinping opened the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai for the first time, signaling that China AI has become central to Beijing's strategy for global influence
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. The Chinese president's attendance at the annual forum underscores Beijing's view of AI as both a driver of economic growth and a strategic technology in global competition2
. During his speech, Xi declared that AI development should not be a "solo performance" by a single country but a "symphony of international cooperation," positioning China as a partner to the Global South3
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Source: The Hill
The conference comes as Washington and Beijing prepare for their first government-level AI talks under President Donald Trump's administration, turning the World Artificial Intelligence Conference from a technology showcase into an early test of how China intends to compete for influence over global AI governance
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. Xi announced that China will provide developing countries with 5,000 opportunities in AI training and seminar programs over the next five years, while expanding AI cooperation with developing countries through partnerships with ASEAN, the League of Arab States, the African Union, and other regional blocs3
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.World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization Launches with 29 Members
A day before Xi's speech, China and nearly 30 countries including Russia, Brazil, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, which will be headquartered in Shanghai
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. The body will give China influence over international standard-setting and other issues as its AI models increasingly compete with their US rivals for global influence1
. Indonesia's state-owned Antara news agency reported that the country expected its participation would boost investments in the high-technology industry sector to help transform its economy1
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Source: NYT
China's AI ambitions are increasingly adding artificial intelligence to its suite of diplomatic offerings to other countries, especially developing nations from the Global South that it is seeking to draw closer into its economic orbit
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. An Asian diplomat told Reuters that "China has been making inroads with Southeast Asian countries in terms of AI capacity-building, and portrays itself as speaking up for developing countries who are being left behind in the AI race"2
.Open-Source AI Models Challenge US Tech Giants
Xi Jinping described open-source AI as key to China's ambitions to shape the global development of the technology, calling it a "rare and historical opportunity" to spread the technology's benefits worldwide
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. Chinese companies like DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, and Alibaba have championed open-source AI models, contending that those systems cost less and will accelerate global adoption5
. Western companies from the US to Europe are switching to cheaper Chinese models, with DoorDash, Siemens, and Airbnb among the groups that have adopted AI tools built in China, drawn by models that are cheaper, increasingly capable, and easier to run on their own infrastructure1
.Chinese AI start-up Moonshot has released a large language model with capabilities approaching those of frontier US labs such as Anthropic
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. DeepSeek's latest V4 model has been adapted to run entirely on clusters built using Huawei's Ascend chips, highlighting progress by Chinese firms in building AI ecosystems independent of US technology2
. A People's Daily commentary stated that "the development of AI must never move toward a technological monopoly that walls itself in, but should always be anchored to the fundamental goal of serving humanity"2
.Related Stories
Huawei Showcases Atlas 950 SuperPoD Amid US Export Controls
Huawei unveiled its Atlas 950 SuperPoD large-scale AI computing cluster at the conference, representing one of the clearest demonstrations yet of China's efforts to assemble such systems without Nvidia's most advanced chips
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. Designed for large-scale AI training and inference, the system links thousands of Huawei's Ascend AI processors through high-speed interconnects so they operate as a single AI computing cluster2
.Xi urged countries to oppose "overstretching the national security concept in the field of AI, or placing one country's security over that of others," a veiled criticism of US export controls
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. The US has implemented various export controls measures aimed at curbing China's access to high-end tech, including placing Huawei on the Commerce Department's Entity List in 20193
. Nvidia has seen its market share in China plummet, stating in its annual report that it was "effectively foreclosed from competing in China's data center computing market"3
.AI as a Tool for Geopolitical Influence and Soft Power
China is rewriting the soft power playbook for the AI age, touting open, low-cost artificial intelligence technology as an alternative to American movies and music that won hearts and minds during the Cold War era
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. Promoting open-source artificial intelligence "serves China's twin goals of bolstering its image as an inclusive AI leader and reducing global reliance on American AI," said Kyle Chan, a fellow at the Brookings Institution5
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Source: AP
The China strategy is "to capture market share across the world, even if it doesn't translate into profits right away," said Wendy Chang, a senior analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies
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. However, the U.S.-China AI rivalry has become more hostile, with American companies accusing some Chinese competitors of improperly harvesting data from their systems. Last month, Anthropic sent a letter to two US senators accusing Alibaba of trying to copy its technology using 24,000 fraudulent accounts, though Alibaba has denied any wrongdoing5
. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to impose sanctions on Chinese AI companies, stating that "open source is not open season on American IP"5
.More than 1,100 companies and 1,400 guests participated in the annual AI conference this year, with international leaders including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul in attendance
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. Some technology analysts now believe China has become an innovator in AI and is no longer just catching up with the US, with China's five-year plan until 2030 prioritizing progress in frontiers of science and technology including AI4
. Technological partnerships with developing nations through AI cooperation could reshape the global technology landscape, as Beijing frames its low-cost models as a public good that would bridge global AI inequality2
.References
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