Chinese President Xi Jinping to Outline AI Diplomacy at Shanghai WAIC 2026

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on July 17 and deliver a keynote speech outlining China’s vision for global AI governance. The forum, themed “Intelligent Partners, Co‑create the Future,” will host officials, industry leaders, and international dignitaries, including UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres and heads of state from Kazakhstan and Thailand.

Huawei will debut its Atlas 950 SuperPoD, a large‑scale AI computing cluster that links thousands of Ascend processors, marking a push to build domestic AI infrastructure without reliance on U.S. chips. Other highlights at WAIC include the STEPX Neo AI‑enabled smartphone, Sugon’s 100,000‑core Zhuguang 8000 supercluster, and a range of AI‑powered devices and agents. Chinese officials will use the event to promote open‑source AI models as low‑cost alternatives and to advance the Global AI Governance Initiative, positioning AI as both an economic driver and a diplomatic instrument.

The conference also features a high‑level meeting on global AI governance, where China is expected to announce progress on the proposed World AI Cooperation Organisation (WAICO) and reaffirm its commitment to providing international public goods in AI.