China has proposed the creation of a new international organisation aimed at fostering global cooperation on artificial intelligence, raising concerns over the growing dominance of a few countries and companies in this rapidly advancing field. Premier Li Qiang announced the proposal during the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, calling for a more inclusive and coordinated approach to AI governance. Stressing that access to AI should not become an exclusive privilege, Li offered China’s support in sharing its AI development experience and technological products, particularly with countries in the Global South.
The premier acknowledged that global AI governance remains fragmented, with countries holding varying views on regulation, institutional mechanisms, and ethical standards. He cited challenges such as the limited availability of AI chips and constraints on international talent mobility as major bottlenecks. Li called for strengthened coordination to build a governance framework with broad international consensus, urging all stakeholders to contribute to an open and accessible AI ecosystem.
Li’s remarks appeared to indirectly address growing tensions between China and the United States over AI leadership. Days earlier, US President Donald Trump’s administration unveiled a new AI blueprint designed to significantly expand American AI exports to allied countries. While Li did not mention the US directly, his comments on exclusive control over AI technology reflected Beijing’s concerns about Washington’s export restrictions on high-end AI chips and related equipment, including those produced by Nvidia.
Despite these restrictions, China has continued to make notable progress in AI, drawing scrutiny from US officials. The Shanghai conference, now in its latest edition, has emerged as a platform where these geopolitical undercurrents are increasingly visible. Over 800 companies are participating this year, showcasing over 3,000 technological innovations, 40 large language models, 50 AI-driven devices, and 60 intelligent robots. Exhibitors include major Chinese tech firms like Huawei and Alibaba, emerging startups such as Unitree, and global players like Tesla, Alphabet, and Amazon.
China’s Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu also addressed the event, telling representatives from over 30 countries—including South Korea, Germany, South Africa, Qatar, and Russia—that China was exploring the idea of basing the proposed global AI organisation in Shanghai. He said the body would be dedicated to encouraging pragmatic cooperation and international dialogue. The foreign ministry also released an online action plan calling for collaboration among governments, international organisations, companies, and academic institutions. The plan included the establishment of a cross-border open-source community to advance AI development and exchange.
Prominent voices from the global AI community were also featured at the event, including Geoffrey Hinton, known as the “Godfather of AI,” Anne Bouverot, the French president’s special envoy for AI, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. However, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a regular speaker in past years, did not participate this time.
The conference exhibitions reflected the technological momentum driving the sector, offering a glimpse into how different nations and companies are positioning themselves in the global AI race. With its latest proposal, China aims to build a collaborative foundation that promotes AI’s ethical and equitable deployment worldwide.
