In a speech at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Xi urged countries to “seize the rare and historic opportunity” of open-source AI and pledged to help developing ​nations build AI capabilities, warning against the emergence of “new historical injustices” from unequal access to the technology.

The remarks amounted to Xi’s clearest articulation yet ​of China’s ambition to shape global AI governance, framing its open-source models as a global public good and positioning Beijing ⁠as an alternative to Washington at a pivotal moment in the race for technological leadership.

Comparing AI’s significance to the invention of the steam engine and electricity, ​Xi outlined a vision in which China shares AI technology and expertise with countries across the Global South, while leading global efforts to create standards governing the ​emerging technology.

The speech pitched China’s AI coalition as a rival to the US-led “Pax Silica” international initiative to secure global AI and critical mineral supply chains, though Xi avoided naming Washington.

His comments came as Chinese open-weight AI models are making rapid gains against proprietary systems from US companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic. Beijing-based startup Moonshot AI on Friday unveiled Kimi K3, which it ​described as the world’s largest open AI model by parameter count, a month after the US government abruptly pulled Anthropic’s frontier-class AI models due to ​security concerns.

Xi also called for AI systems to remain under human control and urged countries to establish early-warning and emergency-response mechanisms to manage AI risks, in his clearest remarks to ‌date on ⁠AI safety.

He further urged measures to guard against loss-of-control scenarios, warning of the dangers posed by autonomous AI systems that could evade human oversight and control.

China positioning to ‘lead the world’

Xi said the China-created World AI Cooperation Organisation (WAICO), which signed up 29 member countries on Thursday, marked a “milestone in the history of world AI development” and responded to demands from Global South nations for greater participation in AI governance.

China will also provide AI training and develop AI cooperation centres with BRICS, ​ASEAN, Latin American and African Union countries, ​Xi said, aligning China’s AI ⁠diplomacy initiatives with major Global South blocs where China already carries huge influence.

“Xi’s message is clear: China is not going to follow anyone on both AI technology and standards. Instead, China is going to lead the world in both aspects,” ​said George Chen, Chair in Digital Practice at The Asia Group, a consultancy.

“Xi’s message is a statement but can ​be also viewed as ⁠a warning — China will not let anyone tell China what to do with AI.”

The July 17-20 gathering comes as Washington and Beijing prepare for their first government-level AI talks under US President Donald Trump’s administration, elevating WAIC from an industry showcase into an early test of how China plans to compete for influence over the global ⁠rules governing ​AI.

The two powers laid out competing visions at a UN AI dialogue last week, where ​US officials argued excessive regulation could hinder innovation, while China promoted its low-cost, open-source models as a tool for reducing global disparities in access to AI.

Alongside China’s leading technology companies, attendees at WAIC ​include UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.