Xi Jinping calls for global cooperation on AI at Shanghai conference

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for international cooperation on artificial intelligence and warned that the technology should not be dominated by any single country. He made the remarks on Friday at the opening of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. The speech placed governance and security at the centre of one of China's most closely watched technology events.

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Xi said AI development should not be treated as a solo effort by one country, but as a shared international undertaking. He also said countries should jointly oppose stretching the concept of national security too far in the field of AI, or putting one country's security above that of others. The comments were delivered as Chinese AI firms continue to narrow the gap with leading US rivals and attract users with lower costs.

The conference comes amid growing concern about the use of AI in military conflict, cyber activity and terrorism. It also takes place against a backdrop of tighter restrictions on Chinese technology imports from the United States and the European Union, both of which have cited national security concerns. The event is a major annual gathering for China's AI sector and brings together more than 1,000 technology firms, officials, researchers and industry figures.

The Shanghai meeting also highlights the wider strategic competition over advanced computing, chips and model development. Analysts cited in the reporting said the United States still holds a clear lead in advanced chips, frontier computing infrastructure and the most capital-intensive model development. China, however, is described as its closest and most comprehensive competitor, underlining why AI governance has become a diplomatic as well as commercial issue.

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The conference is expected to showcase around 3,000 products, ranging from semiconductor systems for AI computing to devices that can autonomously operate apps. That scale reflects how quickly the sector is expanding and how central it has become to industrial policy, security planning and economic competition. Xi's intervention suggests Beijing wants to shape the global debate on how AI should be governed, rather than leaving that discussion to rival powers.

What remains unclear is how much practical follow-up will emerge from the speech, including whether any new international cooperation proposals will be advanced during the four-day event. It is also not clear how the remarks will affect ongoing tensions over technology access and export controls. For now, the conference is likely to be watched closely for signs of whether China can turn its call for shared governance into concrete policy influence.

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