China’s World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO)

On July 16, 2026, representatives from 29 states signed the agreement to join China’s World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) in Shanghai. WAICO is an intergovernmental organization aimed at promoting international cooperation and AI governance, with a particular focus on the Global South. Speaking at the conference, President XI emphasized that AI should not be dominated by a single state, but it should be open, fair, and inclusive for all states. This WAICO agreement aims to enhance Beijing’s influence in global AI standard-setting, to position it as a leader of the new AI order, and to challenge Western frameworks.

By bridging the digital divide and promoting inclusive, open-source AI access for all states, WAICO seeks to shape the global AI governance structure. The WAICO framework emphasizes that AI should not serve only wealthy, developed, or major powers but should benefit all humanity, particularly the countries of the Global South. The global AI governing body will enhance China’s influence through a multilateral platform. It will enable Beijing to promote its preferred AI standards, technical principles, and governance norms.

As more states join the organization, this will help China to gain international support to shape AI norms and reduce Western monopoly. While Western AI frameworks place emphasis on democracy, human rights, and strict regulatory measures, China’s model is centered on sovereign equality, fairness, and free access to AI. It seeks to........

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