Xi Jinping to Deliver Keynote at 2026 World AI Conference in Shanghai
Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai from July 17 to 20, where he will deliver a keynote speech on AI development and governance. The announcement, made by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian on July 13, marks President Xi’s first personal appearance at the conference since its inception in 2018, elevating the event from a technology-industry gathering to a high-level political platform. All tickets for the conference sold out within 10 minutes of the announcement, according to Xinhua News.
A Strategic Escalation in AI Diplomacy
President Xi’s decision to personally address WAIC 2026 signals a significant intensification of China’s engagement with global AI governance. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian stated at a regular briefing that Xi will “comprehensively and systematically elaborate China’s policy positions and conceptual propositions on AI development and governance,” as reported by China Daily.
The conference, themed “AI Partnership for a Brighter Future” (智能伙伴 共创未来), comes at a pivotal moment in the global AI landscape. Lin noted that “AI technological innovation is undergoing broad-based breakthroughs and demonstrating unprecedented dynamism,” bringing both opportunities and challenges that make AI governance “a profound topic of our times,” according to the State Council.
Record Scale and Global Participation
This year’s WAIC has expanded dramatically. Shanghai Vice-Mayor Chen Jie announced at a July 7 press conference that the exhibition area exceeds 100,000 square meters for the first time, with over 1,100 companies participating, more than 3,000 exhibits on display, and over 300 products making their global debut, as detailed by SmartCity.Team.
The conference will feature 140 forums co-organized by 12 national ministries and commissions, with participation from eight national key laboratories and more than 10 international organizations. Nine confirmed Turing Award and Nobel Prize winners will attend, including “father of reinforcement learning” Richard Sutton, who will deliver a keynote address, and Yoshua Bengio, who will present the UN AI governance framework. The newly established “WAIC Academic” forum, chaired by Turing Award winner Andrew Yao, will serve as a high-level academic exchange platform.
Hardware Premieres and Technological Showcase
Major technology debuts planned for the conference include Huawei’s Atlas 950 SuperPoD — the industry’s largest-scale super node making its public debut — and the DF1000, the world’s first software-defined near-memory computing 3D chip, developed by Shanghai-based Oriental Computing Chip Technology. MiniMax’s M3 multimodal large model, the Jieyue Agent Operating System, and the world’s first AI agent smartphone will also be unveiled, alongside multiple humanoid robots and AI dexterous hands.
These premieres underscore China’s push for hardware independence amid ongoing US export controls on advanced semiconductors. The intelligent computing and embodied AI sections will each host more than 200 companies, showcasing AI-powered applications across manufacturing, healthcare, education, and other industries.
Global Governance at the Forefront
The High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, held concurrently with WAIC, will build on the Global AI Governance Action Plan proposed at the 2025 conference. China has positioned itself as a leading voice on AI governance, particularly for developing nations, advocating for the UN as the primary platform for AI governance — a stance that directly challenges Western-led frameworks such as the G7 and the US-EU Trade and Technology Council.
Foreign Ministry AI Coordinator Sun Xiaobo expressed three expectations for the conference at the July 7 press conference: promoting unity through multilateralism, pursuing development through practical cooperation, and advancing action on the Global AI Governance Action Plan, as reported by Xinhua.
International Reactions and Geopolitical Context
International response to Xi’s attendance has been markedly divided. Experts from the Global South have broadly welcomed the development. Alex Gakuru, Director of the Kenya Information Technology Law Center, described Xi’s attendance as “a historic moment” for global AI governance, according to Xinhua’s international reactions article. Abdul Aziz Al-Shaibani of the Riyadh Political and Strategic Studies Center said he looks forward to Xi’s “forward-looking policy propositions” that will “inject new impetus into strengthening international cooperation.”
However, Western analysts have expressed apprehension. Writing in Modern Diplomacy, Dr. Nadia Helmy noted that the United States and its allies see a “paradox in China’s call for ethical global governance while domestically employing AI algorithms for strict surveillance, social credit systems, and facial recognition.” The conference occurs amid ongoing US export controls on advanced semiconductors and AI chips to China, adding a layer of geopolitical tension to the proceedings.
High-Level Diplomatic Presence
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will attend WAIC during an official visit to China from July 16 to 20, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet will address the opening ceremony, underscoring the event’s diplomatic significance. The presence of these Southeast Asian leaders reflects China’s broader strategy of strengthening ties with the Global South through technology cooperation.
What to Watch
President Xi’s keynote speech is expected to outline new initiatives on AI governance, potentially including concrete capacity-building commitments for developing countries. Analysts will be watching for announcements regarding UN-centered governance frameworks, new funding for Global South AI development, and China’s response to Western technology restrictions. The conference runs from July 17 to 20 across three Shanghai venues: the Pudong World Expo Center, Zhangjiang, and West Bund Xuhui.