Reuter’s reported that China is intensifying its efforts to influence the future of AI by proposing an international organisation to govern AI, as the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China grows.
At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, which began Saturday, Chinese officials called for collective international regulation of AI technologies, while offering to share the country’s advances–particularly with developing economies in the Global South.
Over 800 companies and thousands of professionals attended the three-day conference, as China sought to counterbalance US-led initiatives.
Li Qiang, Premier of China Li Qiang avoided direct reference to the United States but warned against the monopolisation AI by select countries and corporations.
Beijing’s message emphasized openness, equality of access and participation in the global economy, which contrasted sharply with Western export restrictions.
The Governance Plan invites more than 30 nations
Ma Zhaoxu, Vice-Foreign Minister, told more than thirty countries, including Germany, Qatar and South Korea, that China is considering setting up the AI organization’s headquarters in Shanghai.
The proposed organization would promote international collaboration in AI development, standards-setting and open-source interchange.
In order to support this initiative, the Chinese Foreign Ministry released a comprehensive plan of action on global AI Governance. This plan is open to participation by governments, business, international organizations, research institutes, and businesses.
The document also suggests building an open-source, cross-border community of AI systems. This signals China’s intention to take a greater role in shaping global AI standards.
China pushes for global AI organization at WAIC
WAIC was held just a few days after Trump’s administration released their AI blueprint. This plan is designed to increase American AI exports, which will demonstrate Washington’s determination to maintain technological superiority in the AI field over China.
Export controls are already shaping the AI race. Washington has blocked Chinese access to advanced chipmaking technology and high-end AI processors, especially those made by Nvidia.
The restrictions were imposed to limit China’s use of AI in military applications. They have also significantly reduced the amount of high-end hardware that is supplied to China.
Chinese companies have made domestic advances. US officials have been closely watching several of these innovations, as they remain concerned about China’s artificial intelligence capabilities and global influence.
AI Expo Shanghai: 800+ companies showcase AI
Over 800 companies participated in the WAIC2025 Conference, displaying more than 3,000 AI products, and 60 intelligent robotics.
This event featured 40 large language-models and 50 AI powered devices. Chinese companies like Huawei, Alibaba and Unitree, a humanoid robotics maker, were heavily represented.
There was also a strong presence of international players. Tesla, Alphabet and Amazon participated in the exhibitions. Elon Musk, however, did not attend this year’s opening ceremony.
In contrast to this, the attendees were France’s AI Envoy Anne Bouverot and renowned computer scientists Geoffrey Hinton and Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO.
The conference tone was international, while the exhibit floor remained China-centric. China also asserted its potential leadership role in AI governance.
Fragmented global AI regulations are needed
Premier Li emphasized that AI is still fragmented globally, and regulatory frameworks differ significantly between jurisdictions. He cited ongoing issues such as AI shortages and limited talent exchange as obstacles to fair development.
China’s call for a consensus-based AI Governance Framework comes amid increasing concerns over how to balance safety with innovation, particularly in regions that are experiencing an increase in surveillance, false information, and ethical issues.
China has said that it will facilitate the sharing of AI tools with other countries, especially those in developing regions.
As new developments unfold, this post China proposes global artificial intelligence body and pushes for Shanghai as HQ may be updated.
