Chinese Leader President Xi Jinping delivered the keynote speech opening the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence (AI) Conference & High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai held from 17 – 20 July & the speech clearly indicates China’s willingness to promote inclusivity & reject of hyper imperialism.
Addressing the event attended by UN Secretary General who on multiple occasions urged the international community for joint action to face the growth of AI, the Chinese leader stated below.
‘Seventy years ago, a group of young scholars proposed the concept of artificial intelligence (AI) for the first time at the Dartmouth Workshop, New Hampshire, USA & AI scientists & researchers all over the world forged ahead through twists & turns making breakthroughs with persistent hard work’.
‘In the course of history, invention of the steam engine heralded the industrial civilization, widespread access to electricity brightened up modern society, & birth of the internet brought the world together’.
‘Each of these technological revolutions has reshaped our way of work & life, enabling a giant leap in economic & social development’.
‘Intelligent connectivity, man-machine collaboration, cross-sector integration, joint creation & sharing, & other intelligent technologies are unleashing enormous power. All this carries great opportunities & challenges to governance’.
We human beings must answer the questions posed by our times;
How to get along with thinking machines?
How to ensure security when algorithm is part of decision-making?
How to tackle ethical challenges by technologies through adaptive governance?
How to realize AI for all when the divide keeps widening?
‘In China’s view, all countries should take a people centered approach & develop AI for the positive & for good. We should ensure that AI is an important driver for shared prosperity & common security. We should join hands to build a just & equitable system for global AI governance’.
I wish to share four observations;
We should adhere to the principle of openness & win-win to boost innovation-driven development. As AI is moving from the digital world into the physical world, we should seize this rare, historic opportunity to encourage open source, openness, collaboration & sharing. We should facilitate technological innovation, industrial development & scenario-based application of AI. We should make coordinated advances in the transformation & upgrade of traditional industries, the cultivation & growth of emerging industries & forward-looking planning for future industries so that all sectors & businesses can benefit from AI.
We should strengthen risk-awareness & ensure that AI is secure & controllable. AI should be a trusted tool for humanity. We should take seriously the various types of inherent & secondary risks that AI may trigger. We should put in place laws & regulations, technological monitoring, early warning & emergency response systems in order to strengthen the line of security, prevent abuses & malicious use, & ensure that AI is always under human control. In the meantime, we should jointly oppose overstretching the national security concept in the field of AI & placing one country’s security over that of others.
We should encourage inclusiveness promoting mutual learning between civilizations. AI development & its application shouldn’t erode or undermine the diversity of world civilizations or the uniqueness of cultures of different countries. We must shape the values of AI with humanity’s common values & make good use of AI technologies to increase understanding, tolerance, exchanges, & sharing among all civilizations. We should tend to the garden of civilizations with great care to ensure that the beauty of each civilization is appreciated & shared.
We should advocate solidarity & improve global governance. AI is an invaluable asset that encapsulates humanity’s collective wisdom. We should practice true multilateralism & recognize the important role of the United Nations. We should enhance alignment & coordination on AI development strategies, governance rules & technical standards so as to form a consensus based global governance framework at an early date to make this frontier technology better benefit humanity. We must carry out extensive international cooperation to help Global South countries with capacity building to bridge the AI & digital divides, promote sustainable development, & prevent creating new historical injustice in AI.
‘In recent years, China has embraced AI with open arms. We have promoted interplay between an efficient market & a well-functioning government, strengthened AI innovation, actively advanced the AI plus initiative building a healthy ecosystem for all entities to thrive in together. The core smart economy industries are worth at least 1 trillion yuan. Smart devices in countless homes truly improve people’s livelihood. Intelligent Manufacturing in China has become another shining hallmark of Chinese modernization’.
‘At the same time, China lays great emphasis on safety & security in AI development. With a deep understanding of the trends & logic of AI development, China is continuously improving laws, regulations, policies, mechanisms, application norms, as well as ethical principles to make sure that AI is safe, secure, controllable, & that this fine steed of AI gallops with both speed & stability’.
‘As a responsible major country, China is always committed to providing international public goods relating to AI. Since I proposed the Global AI Governance Initiative, China has promoted the adoption of the UN General Assembly Resolution on Enhancing International Cooperation on Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence by consensus, published the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good & for All, announced the AI Plus International Cooperation Initiative, & advocated for establishing “World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization” (WAICO)’.
In China we believe that “A single string cannot make music, & a single tree doesn’t make a forest”. AI development shouldn’t be a solo performance by a single country but a symphony of international cooperation.
‘Our vision from one year ago is now a reality. This is a major move by China to answer the call of the Global South. It will unite the international community to vigorously promote AI development & governance & will be an important milestone in the history of AI development’.
‘To further support global AI development & advance global AI capacity building, I hereby announce that in the next five years, China will provide developing countries with 5,000 opportunities in AI training & seminar programs, develop international AI application cooperation centers with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), League of Arab States, African Union, Community of Latin American & Caribbean States, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, & BRICS. China will enable 30 countries to use the AI-powered meteorological warning system (MAZU) to safeguard homes around the world.
‘As ancient Chinese observed…”A man of wisdom adapts to changes; a man of knowledge acts by circumstances.”
With AI advancing at a staggering speed, we must ensure its development is for the positive, for good & for humanity. We must make its oversight & governance precise & effective & constantly refine measures to forestall loss of control. We should always guide AI development with human wisdom & international consensus so that AI can truly become a mighty force that increases the wellbeing of humanity & advances human civilization
By Prof. Samitha Hettige