Xi and Guterres Forge Path on AI Governance at Shanghai Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in Shanghai on July 17, 2026, on the sidelines of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance. The meeting produced landmark outcomes, including the signing of the agreement to establish the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO) — the world’s first intergovernmental AI organization — and a series of Chinese commitments to build AI capacity in developing countries.

A Meeting at a Historic Crossroads

The bilateral meeting, held at the Shanghai Xijiao State Guesthouse, took place as the international community marked the 55th anniversary of the restoration of China’s lawful seat in the United Nations. According to Xinhua News Agency, Xi praised Guterres’ decade-long tenure as UN Secretary-General, commending his leadership in upholding multilateralism, addressing climate change, advancing AI global governance, and launching UN reform.

“Over the past 55 years, China has consistently acted as a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order, always firmly supporting the United Nations,” Xi said during the meeting, as reported by Xinhua.

Xi’s Three Principles for Global Order

Addressing what he described as an increasingly turbulent international landscape, Xi articulated three principles for navigating the current global situation: upholding justice and fairness, upholding fundamental principles while pursuing innovation, and upholding responsibility and action.

“Every country is an equal member of the international community. Every country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and legitimate rights and interests should be respected. The world must not be allowed to return to the era of the law of the jungle,” Xi stated, according to the official readout.

The Chinese leader also called for safeguarding the international system established after World War II while promoting UN reform to adapt to changing times, and urged major countries to shoulder greater responsibilities in addressing global challenges.

Guterres: China ‘Sets an Example for the World’

Guterres commended China’s steadfast support for multilateralism and the UN cause, saying that China has “set an example for the world” under President Xi’s leadership. As reported by UN News, the Secretary-General affirmed that the UN will continue to strengthen cooperation with China and oppose unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemonic bullying.

Earlier that day, Guterres delivered a keynote address at the WAIC opening ceremony, where he described AI as “humanity’s greatest opportunity in the 21st century” but cautioned it could also become “one of its greatest risks.”

“Technology that will shape the future of humanity must be shaped by all of humanity,” Guterres said. “AI governance cannot be governed by a handful of countries or companies. Every nation needs a seat at the table.”

The World AI Cooperation Organization: A New Institutional Framework

A centerpiece of the conference was the signing ceremony for the Agreement on the Establishment of the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO), held on July 17. As detailed in the WAIC Chair’s Statement, WAICO is the first intergovernmental AI organization globally, with its headquarters in Shanghai.

The organization is founded on principles including adherence to the UN Charter, respect for sovereignty and cultural diversity, equality, multilateralism, and mutual benefit. Its mission explicitly focuses on supporting Global South countries in AI development, enhancing innovation, application, and governance capacity, and bridging the AI divide. WAICO is open to all countries and will maintain communication with other international organizations.

China’s AI Commitments: Training, Cooperation, and Technology

In his keynote speech at the WAIC opening ceremony, Xi announced a comprehensive package of AI capacity-building initiatives for developing countries over the next five years. According to the full text of Xi’s speech, China will:

• Provide 5,000 AI training slots for developing countries
• Establish international AI application cooperation centers with ASEAN, the Arab League, the African Union, CELAC, the SCO, and BRICS
• Deploy the “Mazu” intelligent weather early warning system in 30 countries

Xi emphasized that China’s AI core industry has already exceeded 1 trillion RMB, positioning the country as a major AI power. “AI development should not be a solo performance by any single country, but rather a symphony of global cooperation,” he said.

Guterres’ Three Priorities for Global AI

During his address, Guterres outlined three priorities for ensuring AI benefits all of humanity: expanding capacity in developing countries, establishing international safety standards, and making AI more environmentally sustainable.

The Secretary-General noted that more than 20 countries have already nominated centers for a UN-supported Global Network for Exchange and Cooperation on AI Capacity Building. He also announced that he will soon present recommendations for a Global Fund for AI, calling on governments to support both initiatives.

On safety, Guterres stressed that “human rights must be protected” and that “humans must keep control over every life-and-death decision,” adding that “no AI system should be put in a child’s hands before it has been proven safe.” He also called on major AI companies to disclose the environmental footprint of their systems and power operations with renewable energy by 2030.

Analysis: A Strategic Shift in AI Governance

The establishment of WAICO represents a major institutional innovation in global AI governance, potentially shifting the center of gravity toward China-led frameworks. The organization’s explicit focus on Global South capacity building positions China as a leader of developing countries in the AI domain, while Guterres’ praise for China’s role suggests alignment between UN and Chinese approaches to inclusive AI governance.

Xi’s emphasis on “no return to the law of the jungle” and his opposition to the “securitization” of AI are widely interpreted as implicit critiques of certain Western approaches to technology competition, particularly export controls and investment restrictions on AI technologies.

Outstanding questions remain about how WAICO will interact with existing AI governance initiatives such as the OECD AI Principles, the EU AI Act, and the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI). Whether the United States and other Western powers will join WAICO or whether it will lead to competing governance frameworks remains an open question with significant implications for the future of international technology regulation.

What to Watch For

As the 2026 World AI Conference continues through July 20 in Shanghai, attention will turn to the implementation details of China’s capacity-building commitments and the structure of Guterres’ proposed Global Fund for AI. The coming months will also reveal how existing AI governance bodies respond to the emergence of WAICO and whether a unified or fragmented global AI governance architecture takes shape.