Twenty-nine countries have signed an agreement establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), creating a new intergovernmental body headquartered in Shanghai that China says will promote international cooperation and global governance in artificial intelligence.
The agreement was signed on July 16 in Shanghai by representatives of the founding member states, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi signing on behalf of the Chinese government. Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, joined delegates from countries including Kazakhstan, Laos, Pakistan, Russia, and Indonesia in formalizing the organization.
According to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, WAICO will operate as an independent intergovernmental international organization based in Shanghai.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres attended the signing ceremony alongside representatives from participating countries and international organizations.
Organization centered on AI governance
According to the agreement, WAICO will uphold the purposes of the UN Charter, pursue extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, and follow a people-centered approach.
The organization aims to strengthen international cooperation and global governance on artificial intelligence while ensuring AI development is “beneficial, safe and fair,” supporting what the agreement describes as the technology’s healthy and orderly development for the benefit of humanity.
China first proposed creating the organization during the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, although no countries had formally announced membership until the July 16 signing.
Headquartered in Shanghai, WAICO’s 29 member countries include countries from Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, among them Russia, Belarus, Serbia, Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, Pakistan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Laos.
Launch coincides with Shanghai AI summit
The agreement was signed ahead of the 2026 WAIC in Shanghai, where Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined Beijing’s vision for international AI governance and promoted broader global cooperation on the technology.
Addressing the conference, Xi called on countries to seize the “historic opportunity” presented by open-source AI while warning against unequal access to advanced technologies.
“AI development should not be a solo performance by a single country, but a symphony of international cooperation,” Xi said.
“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 also said China would continue supporting AI capacity building across Africa, Latin America, and Asia to help prevent what he described as “new historical injustices” arising from unequal access to AI technologies.
The Chinese leader argued that artificial intelligence should remain under human oversight, calling for safeguards including regulatory frameworks, technological monitoring, early warning systems, and emergency response mechanisms.
Beijing advances alternative AI governance model
Xi’s speech represented China’s clearest articulation to date of its ambition to shape global AI governance while presenting Beijing as an alternative to U.S.-led approaches to regulating the rapidly evolving technology.
Reuters reported that Xi compared AI’s transformative potential to the invention of the steam engine and electricity, emphasizing China’s willingness to share AI technology and expertise with developing countries while helping establish international standards governing artificial intelligence.
The initiative comes as competition between China and the United States over AI leadership continues to intensify. Chinese officials have increasingly promoted open-source AI models as a global public good while portraying the country’s AI strategy as an alternative to what Beijing characterizes as U.S.-led efforts to restrict China’s technological development.
At the conference, Chinese startup Moonshot AI introduced its Kimi K3 model, which the company described as the world’s largest open AI model by parameter count. The debut reflected China’s broader push to expand its presence in advanced AI development as domestic firms narrow the gap with leading U.S. AI companies.
Reuters also reported earlier in July that Beijing is considering restrictions on overseas access to some of China’s most advanced AI models, highlighting tensions between its promotion of open-source AI and national security priorities.
Broader geopolitical implications
The creation of WAICO reflects China’s broader effort to expand its influence over international technology governance while strengthening cooperation with countries across the Global South.
Analysts say the organization could become a platform through which Beijing seeks to shape discussions on AI policy and standards within the United Nations and other multilateral institutions.
The launch also underscores the emergence of competing approaches to AI governance as countries increasingly view artificial intelligence as central to economic competitiveness, national security, and technological leadership.
For governments and industries worldwide, including the financial sector, the establishment of WAICO signals the possibility of increasingly divergent AI standards and regulatory frameworks as global competition over advanced technologies continues to evolve.