China proposes new international body for global AI cooperation

China announced on Saturday its intention to establish a new international organisation aimed at fostering global cooperation on artificial intelligence, positioning itself as a counterweight to the United States amid an intensifying rivalry over the future of the transformative technology.

Speaking at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Beijing seeks to coordinate global efforts to regulate rapidly evolving AI technologies and to share the country’s advancements more broadly.

While not directly naming the United States, Li appeared to allude to Washington’s attempts to curb China’s AI progress, cautioning against allowing the technology to become “the exclusive domain” of a few nations and corporations. Instead, he emphasised China’s vision of equitable access to AI technologies, calling for open sharing and equal rights for all countries and enterprises, especially those in the Global South—developing and emerging economies largely located in the southern hemisphere.

China's proposal follows the release of a U.S. blueprint earlier in the week by former President Donald Trump’s administration, which aims to expand AI exports to allies in an effort to preserve America's competitive edge over China in this critical sector.

Li acknowledged ongoing challenges in AI governance, pointing to fragmented global regulatory approaches, unequal access to AI chips, and barriers to the free exchange of talent. “Global AI governance remains disjointed,” he said. “Countries differ widely in regulatory frameworks and policy concepts. We must strengthen coordination to establish a broadly accepted global AI governance framework as soon as possible.”

Headquarters in Shanghai?

The three-day Shanghai conference convenes industry leaders and policymakers amid escalating technological competition between China and the U.S., with AI becoming a central front in their geopolitical contest.

U.S. authorities have imposed strict export controls on cutting-edge technologies to China, including advanced AI chips from companies like Nvidia and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, citing security concerns over potential military applications. Despite these curbs, China continues to make notable progress in AI, drawing close scrutiny from Washington.

During a roundtable at the conference attended by representatives from over 30 countries—including Russia, Germany, Qatar, South Africa, and South Korea—Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said China envisions the new AI body promoting practical international cooperation and is considering locating its headquarters in Shanghai.

China’s foreign ministry also released an action plan for global AI governance, encouraging governments, international bodies, companies, and research institutions to join hands in fostering cooperation, including via a cross-border open-source community.

The government-backed event typically draws a mix of industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, and investors. Saturday’s keynote speakers included Anne Bouverot, special envoy for AI to the French president; Geoffrey Hinton, often called the “Godfather of AI”; and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Notably, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has previously participated, did not appear this year.

Alongside the forums, the conference features a large exhibition with more than 800 companies showcasing over 3,000 high-tech innovations—including 40 large language models, 50 AI devices, and 60 intelligent robots. While dominated by Chinese firms like Huawei, Alibaba, and robotics startup Unitree, Western companies such as Tesla, Alphabet, and Amazon are also represented.