Brazil-China AI cooperation

In late July 2026 Brazil and China formalised a joint effort to shape global artificial‑intelligence governance. On 24 July the two countries signed a treaty in Shanghai creating the World Cooperation Organization on Artificial Intelligence, a multilateral platform that will bring together 30 founding states from across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. The agreement stresses AI as a global public good, seeks to narrow the digital divide and promises equitable technology transfer, with backing from the UN secretary‑general. At the same time, Chinese officials highlighted expanding beef trade with Brazil, noting that Brazilian shipments now fill 80 % of China’s allocated quota.

Two days later, on 26 July, Brazil’s delegation attended the inauguration of the organisation – now called the World Organization for Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence (WAICO) – and signed the charter, becoming a founding member. WAICO’s charter outlines goals of safe, ethical and human‑centred AI development, capacity‑building and shared best practices. President Xi pledged 5,000 AI training places for professionals from developing nations and pledged free access to an AI‑driven meteorological alert system for 30 participating countries. Brazil’s participation signals its interest in diversifying AI options and taking part in international rule‑making, even as details of the body’s internal governance remain limited.