Jinping pitches China as leader of new global AI order

Jinping pitches China as leader of a new global AI order, using the opening of Shanghai’s World Artificial Intelligence Conference to argue for open-source models and a China-led role in setting AI rules. On July 17, Xi Jinping said countries should seize a “rare and historic chance” by adopting open-source AI, and he pledged support for developing nations building AI capabilities. He also warned that unequal access could deepen global injustice, and emphasized keeping AI systems under human control. Xi urged early warning and emergency response mechanisms for AI risks, and highlighted that the China-led World AI Cooperation Organization signed up 29 member countries on July 16. He positioned China as an alternative to Washington, mentioning Chinese AI partnership efforts as a rival to the U.S.-led “Pax Silica” concept, while open models from firms like Moonshot AI increasingly compete with closed systems from OpenAI and Anthropic.