Chinese President Calls for Global AI Governance Body

Reuters

Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Chinese President Xi Jinping took centre stage at a meeting of APEC leaders on Saturday, urging the creation of a global organisation to govern artificial intelligence (AI).

It was President Xi’s first public comment on the initiative Beijing unveiled earlier this year. The United States has opposed moves to establish international mechanisms to regulate AI, preferring national or private-sector frameworks.

President Xi proposed the establishment of a World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation, which he said could develop governance standards and enhance collaboration, making AI a “public good for the international community.”

In remarks carried by Xinhua News Agency, Xi stated: “Artificial intelligence is of great significance for future development and should be made for the benefit of people in all countries and regions.”

Chinese officials have suggested the proposed organisation could be headquartered in Shanghai, the country’s leading commercial centre.

U.S. President Donald Trump did not attend the APEC leaders’ summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, flying directly back to Washington after a bilateral meeting with Xi.

The two leaders’ discussions resulted in a one-year agreement to partially roll back trade and technology restrictions that had heightened tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

President Xi also called on APEC members to facilitate the “free circulation” of green technologies, including industries such as battery production and solar energy, sectors in which China plays a dominant role.

At the conclusion of the summit, APEC members adopted a joint declaration, along with new agreements on AI governance and the challenges of ageing populations.

China will host the 2026 APEC summit in Shenzhen, a city of nearly 18 million people and a major hub for manufacturing, robotics, and electric vehicle production. Xi noted that the city, once a small fishing village, rose to prominence after becoming one of China’s first special economic zones in the 1980s.

APEC—the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum—comprises 21 member economies that together account for roughly half of global trade.

Source: Reuters



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