China announced on Saturday its intention to establish a global organisation aimed at fostering international cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI), positioning itself as a counterbalance to the United States in the global AI race.

Premier Li Qiang made the announcement during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, stating that China is committed to coordinating global regulatory efforts on AI and sharing its technological progress. His remarks come amid growing competition between China and the U.S., which recently unveiled a sweeping plan to expand AI exports to its allies in a move seen as reinforcing American leadership in the field.

While Li did not directly mention the U.S., he appeared to criticise attempts to hinder China’s development in AI, cautioning against the risk of the technology becoming monopolised by a few powerful nations and corporations. He emphasised that AI should be accessible to all countries and businesses, with China prepared to share its expertise and products, particularly with developing nations in the Global South.

Li also highlighted global concerns over AI regulation, pointing to persistent obstacles such as limited access to advanced AI chips and restrictions on international talent flows. "Current global AI governance remains fragmented, with substantial differences in regulatory approaches and institutional frameworks," he said. "We need greater coordination to establish a widely accepted global AI governance model as soon as possible."

The three-day conference in Shanghai convenes policymakers and tech leaders amid intensifying technological rivalry between the world’s two largest economies. AI has emerged as a central front, with the U.S. imposing export controls on cutting-edge technologies, such as high-performance AI chips from Nvidia, due to concerns over potential military applications.

Despite these curbs, China continues to make notable strides in AI development, prompting close monitoring by U.S. officials.

China’s Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu proposed the new AI organisation at a roundtable with representatives from over 30 countries- including Russia, Germany, Qatar, South Korea, and South Africa—stating that China is considering establishing the organisation’s headquarters in Shanghai. The foreign ministry also published an online action plan inviting global stakeholders from governments to research institutions to join efforts in building international cooperation, including through a cross-border open-source community.

The government-backed conference regularly attracts major players from industry, academia, and policy circles. This year’s lineup included Anne Bouverot, France’s special envoy on AI; Geoffrey Hinton, a pioneer in the field often referred to as the “Godfather of AI”; and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

While Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a frequent past speaker, was absent this year, the event still featured a strong industrial presence. Over 800 companies are showcasing more than 3,000 cutting-edge technologies, including 40 large language models, 50 AI-powered gadgets, and 60 intelligent robots.

Exhibitors are mostly Chinese firms, including heavyweights like Huawei and Alibaba, as well as startups such as Unitree, which produces humanoid robots. Western companies such as Tesla, Amazon, and Alphabet are also participating.

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