Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced a new initiative to provide 5,000 AI training opportunities to developing nations, framing China as a collaborative partner for the Global South. Speaking at the World AI Conference in Shanghai on July 17, 2026, Xi emphasized international cooperation, even as the nation faces ongoing U.S. export controls on advanced computing hardware.
China’s Push for Global AI Partnerships
President Xi’s strategy involves building AI cooperation across key regional blocs, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the League of Arab States, and the African Union. According to a Google translation of his speech in Mandarin, Xi described AI development as a “symphony of international cooperation” rather than a “solo performance.”
This diplomatic pivot coincides with the formation of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO). State media outlet Xinhua reported that 29 countries signed an agreement in Shanghai to establish the organization, which will be headquartered in the city.
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The Impact of U.S. Export Restrictions
While China promotes global collaboration, its domestic industry remains constrained by long-standing U.S. export controls. These restrictions, which began with the 2019 addition of Huawei to the Commerce Department’s Entity List, were significantly expanded in 2022 to block the sale of advanced computing chips and semiconductors to China.
Nvidia, the dominant player in high-end AI chips, noted in its 2026 annual report that it has been effectively “foreclosed” from competing in China’s data center market. The company stated that it cannot produce a competitive product for China that satisfies the regulatory requirements of both Beijing and Washington. Consequently, Nvidia warned that this market exclusion has allowed its competitors to build larger developer ecosystems that could challenge its global dominance.
Domestic Innovation and “Controllable” AI
Despite these barriers, Chinese firms are scaling their own hardware solutions. At the Shanghai conference, Huawei showcased the Atlas 950 SuperPoD, a supernode designed to link multiple chips to increase raw computing power. The company claims this technology specifically addresses the demands of large-scale model training and data center infrastructure.
President Xi also used the platform to outline his vision for AI safety. He urged countries to ensure that artificial intelligence remains “secure and controllable” under human oversight. He specifically cautioned against “overstretching the national security concept,” a reference to the U.S. export policies that Beijing argues unfairly prioritize the security of one nation over others.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the goal of the new WAICO organization?
WAICO aims to foster international cooperation in AI development, with 29 countries currently signed on to participate in its framework. - Why is Nvidia struggling in the Chinese market?
U.S. export controls prevent Nvidia from selling its most advanced chips to China, leaving the company unable to offer a competitive product that meets both U.S. and Chinese regulatory standards. - What is the Atlas 950 SuperPoD?
It is a Huawei-developed supernode designed to link multiple chips together to boost computing power for large-scale data centers and model training.
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