China’s ‘Mazu’ AI Weather Warning System to Expand to 30 Countries
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced on July 17 that China will deploy its AI-powered “Mazu” intelligent weather early warning solution in 30 countries over the next five years, marking a major expansion of the country’s meteorological technology from an initial seven nations. The announcement came during the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, as reported by Xinhua News Agency.
What Is Mazu?
“Mazu” (MAZU) is China’s national intelligent meteorological early warning solution, developed by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA). The name draws from Mazu, the Chinese sea goddess revered in coastal regions as a protector of fishermen and sailors who was said to possess knowledge of astronomy and weather patterns. The English acronym MAZU stands for Multi-hazard, Alert, Zero-gap and Universal.
First unveiled at WAIC 2025, the system was the world’s first national action plan responding to the UN’s “Early Warnings for All” initiative, which aims to ensure every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems by 2027. According to The Paper, Mazu is not a single AI model but a comprehensive suite of modular solutions — including cloud-based systems, portable all-in-one devices, and fully customized local deployments — designed to transform weather prediction into actionable disaster warnings.
Current Deployments and Expansion Plans
Mazu is already operational in seven countries: Pakistan, Ethiopia, Solomon Islands, Jordan, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, and Djibouti. The system also supports cloud-based trials in more than 40 additional nations. President Xi’s announcement at WAIC 2026 commits to expanding this reach to 30 countries within five years.
“Over the next five years, promote the meteorological intelligent early warning solution ‘Mazu’ to be deployed in 30 countries, watching over the lights of ten thousand homes and protecting peace across the four seas,” Xi said in his keynote address, according to Xinhua.
Major Announcements at WAIC 2026
Several significant milestones were unveiled on July 17 at the WAIC meteorological forum:
Mazu Djibouti 2.0 was officially delivered to the East African nation. The upgraded system improves forecast resolution from 9 kilometers to 3 kilometers, provides three-day forecasts updated every six hours, and introduces one-click warning alerts and real-time interactive functions. Completion of deployment is expected by the end of 2026.
The MAZU-FengYun Satellite AI Box was launched, integrating observations from China’s Fengyun meteorological satellite system with AI. As reported by the World Meteorological Organization, this integrated hardware-software platform enables users to receive satellite data, run AI-powered weather analysis, and generate forecasts locally — a critical capability for countries with limited computing infrastructure.
The Fenghe Large Language Model was released alongside a global open-source plan. Trained on 50 million tokens of high-quality meteorological service data, Fenghe represents a significant step toward democratizing AI-powered weather services, according to CGTN.
The China-Thailand Joint Laboratory for Intelligent Prediction and Early Warning was established — the world’s first bilateral AI meteorology lab. The lab will focus on developing AI technologies for forecasting typhoons, torrential rainfall, heat waves, and droughts, while serving as a regional platform for technology sharing and professional training across Southeast Asia.
International Endorsement
UN Secretary-General António Guterres praised China’s contributions at the WAIC meteorological forum, stating that China’s “platforms, satellites, and AI models have already helped dozens of countries improve their early warning capabilities.” Guterres emphasized that this represents “exactly the cooperation model the world needs — helping countries protect lives through technology transfer, joint research, and local capacity building.”
On-the-Ground Impact
Partner countries have reported tangible benefits. Shahzad of the Pakistan Meteorological Department told The Paper that the Mazu platform “can quickly and effectively track meteorological disasters, becoming an essential tool for forecasters in their work.” Letta, Head of Remote Sensing and Climate Division at the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute, described Mazu as “not just a prediction tool; it is an early warning network covering the entire lifecycle.”
Mohamed Ismail Nour, Director-General of the Djibouti National Meteorological Agency, noted that areas of Djibouti have long faced threats from floods, heat waves, and cyclones, and expressed confidence that the upgraded system “will greatly enhance our ability to respond to frequent disasters.”
Broader Implications
The Mazu expansion represents a strategic soft-power initiative by China, positioning its AI and meteorological technology as a global public good. By offering this technology to developing nations — particularly along Belt and Road Initiative routes — China strengthens diplomatic ties while showcasing technological leadership. The system directly supports UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly climate action (SDG 13) and partnerships for the goals (SDG 17).
Nearly 1,000 trainees from more than 100 developing countries have already participated in Chinese early warning training programs, as reported by Xinhua, creating a foundation of human capital that extends beyond the technology itself.
What’s Next
With Mazu already operational in seven countries and supporting trials in over 40 more, the path to 30 full deployments appears well-established. Key questions remain about which additional countries will be targeted, how the system will perform across diverse climate zones, and how data sovereignty concerns will be addressed. As climate change accelerates extreme weather events worldwide, the demand for accessible, AI-powered early warning systems is only expected to grow.
Wang Jinsong, Director of the National Satellite Meteorological Center, captured the philosophy behind the initiative: “‘Mazu’ is not just an AI technology; it is an exploration of the integration of global wisdom and local wisdom.”