President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, today cited Beijing as central to a new global AI order, promoting open-source technology and challenging individual influence over regulations.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Xi encouraged countries to seize the “historic opportunity” of open-source AI and stated China would help developing nations build AI capabilities. He emphasised the importance of guiding AI towards “the positive, for good and for humanity,” urging other nations to address emerging security and ethical challenges.

“Intelligent connectivity, human-machine collaboration, cross-sector integration, joint creation and sharing and other intelligent technologies are unleashing enormous power,” he said during his speech. “All this carries within it great opportunities as well as challenges to governance.”

Xi explained how, in China’s view, countries should take a “people-centred approach” to AI and develop it for positive reasons. He urged everyone to partner to build a fair and equitable system for global AI governance to “bridge digital divides, promote sustainable development and creating new historical injustice in AI”.

His comments come in the middle of tensions between China and the US over AI, with each nation eager to emerge as leader in the technology. The US has previously restricted sales of some advanced processors to China, during a time where semiconductor supply chains are strained and the industry has grappled with continued conflict in the Middle East and US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Although not addressing Washington directly, Xi suggested the world should focus on “openness” to boost AI innovation and economic development.

“As a new engine of world economic growth and an accelerator for the shift of growth drivers, AI is moving from the digital world into the physical world,” he shared. “We should seize this rare historic opportunity to encourage open source, openness, collaboration and sharing. We should facilitate technological innovation, industrial development, and scenario-based application of AI.”

As concerns mount over digital security, Xi also called for greater risk awareness and steps to be taken to ensure AI is a “trusted tool for humanity”. He called for laws and regulations, including monitoring, early warning and emergency response, to prevent malicious abuse of the technology and “ensure that AI is always under human control”.

He added: “We should jointly oppose overstretching the national security concept in the field of AI or placing one country’s security over that of others.”

Xi used his speech to bring focus to China’s 15th Five-Year-Plan, which commences this year. The plan sets out the nation’s economic and social development for the next five years, as it seeks to provide significant opportunities for the international community, the Chinese President explained.

To further support global AI development and to advance global AI capacity, Xi announced during his speech that China will provide developing countries with 5,000 opportunities in AI training over the next five years.

“China will develop international AI application cooperation centres with ASEAN, the League of Arab States, the African Union, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS,” he added. “We will enable 30 countries to use the AI-powered meteorological warning system, or MAZU, to safeguard homes around the world.”

Chinese state media has portrayed Beijing’s AI strategy as a response to what it refers to as a US-led attempt to create an “AI Iron Curtain”, according to Reuters. The WAIC conference perhaps highlights how China is looking to make fast progress in open AI models to compete with US companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, the publication added.

It also comes as China prepares to spend around two trillion yuan over the next five years on building data centres across the country, with key government agencies including the National Development and Reform Commission drafting a blueprint to erect a network of interconnected computing hubs.

State firms including China Mobile and China Telecom will operate the bulk of the data centres and ensure they are connected, Capacity recently reported.

“AI is an invaluable asset that encapsulates humanity’s collective wisdom. We should enhance alignment and coordination on AI development strategies, governance rules, and technical standards to form a consensus-based global governance framework at an early date to make this frontier technology better benefit humanity,” Xi surmised during his speech.

“China is ready to be more open, take more practical actions and assume a more visionary perspective. We are ready to work with all parties to seize the opportunities of AI development and meet the challenges and join hands to create a brighter future for humanity.”

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