Xi Jinping opened China's biggest AI summit for the first time — and the message had a clear addressee
Xi Jinping delivered the opening keynote of the World AI Conference in Shanghai for the first time, pushing open-source AI and global cooperation, with concrete pledges for developing countries.
Shanghai’s World AI Conference is on its ninth edition, but it had never seen this: Xi Jinping opening the event in person. China’s leader took the WAIC stage on Friday for the first time since the conference began in 2018, and the gesture says as much as the speech — AI has officially moved to the top of China’s political agenda, at the exact moment US restrictions are squeezing the country’s access to the most advanced chips.
What did Xi Jinping promise at WAIC 2026?
Very concrete things. Over the next five years, China will offer 5,000 AI training places to developing countries, set up AI application cooperation centres with blocs including ASEAN, the Arab League, the African Union, CELAC, the SCO and BRICS, and put its MAZU AI-powered weather-warning system in the hands of 30 countries. All of it wrapped in a defence of open source and collaboration — “the development of artificial intelligence should not be a solo performance by any single country but rather a symphony of global cooperation,” he said, a barb that needs no subtitles. The full text is published by China’s foreign ministry.
What about the risks?
They made the speech too: Xi argued AI oversight must be “precise and effective”, with constantly refined measures to prevent the technology slipping out of control. The conference runs until 20 July — and it’s no coincidence it opened on the same day Moonshot released Kimi K3, the largest open model ever. Open source is, ever more clearly, China’s strategic play to route around the chip blockade.
A global symphony, then — with China reaching for the conductor’s baton.
By Oliver Grant
Image: Ermell / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
