Xi Jinping promotes international rules and cooperation on artificial intelligence in Shanghai

The WAIC is considered China's largest annual conference for the AI industry. This year, Xi's personal presence underscored the significance of the event. According to the organizers and reporting, the conference is a central showcase for Beijing's strategy of positioning itself as a global AI powerhouse.

Background: The technology race with the United States

Xi called for concrete regulations and systems for technology oversight. „Nötig seien Vorschriften und Systeme zur Technologieüberwachung“, the report stated. This connected to earlier Chinese positions that envision state control of AI development without curtailing the competitiveness of the domestic industry.

The background is the intensified technological competition with the United States. Washington maintains strict export controls on advanced semiconductors and restricts access to the most powerful AI models for foreign countries. China is responding with an accelerated policy of technological self-reliance. „Beijing is accelerating its drive for tech self-reliance", the agency writes.

The reporting on the conference places Xi's appearance within a larger strategic framework. AI development has now become both a technological imperative and a cornerstone of China's geopolitical strategy, the report says. „indicates AI development has become both a technological imperative and a cornerstone of China's geopolitical strategy", the agency quotes.

Strategic significance of the conference

With the call for international cooperation, Beijing is attempting to stage itself as a responsible actor in the AI debate. At the same time, China is expanding its own standards, chips, and models in order to become less dependent on US technology. The WAIC serves as a stage to make Chinese progress visible and to attract foreign partners.

Observers interpret Xi's appearance as a signal to the domestic industry and to the international community. While Beijing describes regulation as a shared task, critics accuse China of helping shape the rules in a way that advantages its own companies. The conflict with Washington is seen as the likely backdrop for this dual strategy.

Reactions and open questions

The reporting on the conference comes from Sylvia Ma, Coco Feng, and Howard Liu. The piece was broadcast on 17.07.2026 on the Deutschlandfunk program. „Diese Nachricht wurde am 17.07.2026 im Programm Deutschlandfunk gesendet", the broadcast stated.

It remains open how concretely Xi's call for international AI rules will be shaped in the coming months. China and the United States have not yet negotiated a common framework. The WAIC 2026 is therefore likely to function primarily as a domestic political signal and as a calling card for the Chinese AI industry.