China placed international cooperation at the centre of the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, where governments, researchers, companies and international organisations gathered to discuss the future of artificial intelligence. The conference produced new agreements, new technology initiatives and fresh commitments aimed at expanding AI access across the world. It also marked the launch of a new international body dedicated to AI cooperation and governance.
The conference opened on July 17 with a keynote address by Xi Jinping, who described artificial intelligence as one of the defining technologies of the present era and called for countries to strengthen cooperation rather than pursue division. He said AI development should remain people-centred, secure, open and inclusive while governance should rest on multilateral cooperation and shared responsibility.
Xi said China would support broader participation in AI development by expanding international cooperation with developing countries. He announced 5,000 training and seminar opportunities over the next five years and outlined plans for international AI application cooperation centres with ASEAN, the League of Arab States, the African Union, CELAC, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS. He also announced that China would enable 30 countries to use the AI-powered meteorological warning system MAZU.
The conference theme reflected the growing importance of international dialogue on artificial intelligence as governments seek common approaches to innovation, governance and safety. Delegations from more than 100 countries and international organisations attended the meeting alongside representatives from universities, research institutes and technology companies. UN Secretary-General António Guterres joined heads of state and government leaders during the opening events.
One of the conference’s central developments came with the establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, known as WAICO.
The founding agreement had been signed in Shanghai on July 16 by representatives from 29 countries before the opening ceremony. The organisation will establish its headquarters in Shanghai and operate as an independent intergovernmental international organisation dedicated to AI cooperation and governance.
According to the founding agreement, WAICO will uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter while promoting extensive consultation, joint participation and shared benefit. The organisation also states that AI development should remain beneficial, safe and fair while supporting cooperation on governance frameworks, technical standards and international exchanges.
Founding members include Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Laos, Pakistan and Russia among other participating countries. The presence of senior international representatives during the signing ceremony reflected the importance attached to building structured international dialogue around AI governance at a time when the technology continues to expand across industries and public services.
Another major announcement centred on weather forecasting and climate services.
The China Meteorological Administration introduced Fenghe, an open-source large language model designed for meteorological services. The system has been trained using 50 million tokens of weather-service data together with authoritative meteorological datasets. Officials said the model supports weather forecasting, disaster risk assessment and public weather services.
Its Chinese-language version delivers personalised weather information, service recommendations and risk alerts. The international version operates in both Chinese and English and has already been incorporated into the United Nations Early Warnings for All initiative. The accompanying open-source programme invites developers across the world to build new applications using the model and contribute to a wider international ecosystem for weather services.
The launch demonstrated how AI applications developed for public services continue to expand beyond commercial use. Weather forecasting remains one of the fields where international data sharing and scientific cooperation have long played an important role. The decision to release the model under an open-source approach seeks to encourage wider participation from researchers, developers and national meteorological agencies.
Open-source technology formed one of the strongest themes throughout the conference.
In his keynote speech, Xi said China stood ready to expand openness in AI development and promote wider international cooperation through open-source innovation. He argued that technological progress should benefit more countries and avoid creating barriers that limit access to new capabilities.
Conference discussions also focused on practical cooperation between governments, research institutions and industry. Participants examined topics including AI governance, industrial development, scientific research, standards, education and public services. The event continued Shanghai’s role as one of the world’s major forums for international AI dialogue.
Xinhua commentary published alongside the conference argued that the central question facing the international community is whether artificial intelligence becomes a source of rivalry or shared progress. The commentary said restrictions and protectionism risk fragmenting the global AI ecosystem and widening the technological gap between countries.
Instead, it presented openness, joint research, talent exchanges and capacity building as the foundation for sustainable AI development. It also described international forums such as WAIC as valuable opportunities for governments, companies, researchers and international organisations to strengthen consensus and deepen cooperation.
The conference illustrated China’s intention to expand its contribution to international AI governance through institutions, technical cooperation and knowledge sharing. The combination of WAICO, new training commitments, international cooperation centres and open-source technology projects reflected an approach that places international engagement alongside technological development.
The creation of WAICO also adds a new platform for dialogue at a time when countries continue to examine common standards for artificial intelligence. International governance remains one of the most significant issues facing the technology sector as AI becomes integrated into healthcare, education, manufacturing, finance, transport and public administration.
Shanghai’s conference demonstrated how international cooperation continues to occupy a central place in discussions about AI’s future. The announcements made during the meeting extended beyond policy statements into practical programmes involving education, weather forecasting, technical collaboration and institutional development.
As artificial intelligence becomes part of daily life across more societies, initiatives that encourage knowledge sharing, research partnerships and common governance frameworks are likely to receive increasing international attention. The 2026 World AI Conference presented one of the year’s largest platforms for those discussions and reinforced the value of dialogue between governments, researchers, industry leaders and international organisations in shaping the next stage of global AI development.
HT
