Shafaqna English- At China’s flagship technology event on Friday(17 Jul 2026), President Xi Jinping portrayed Beijing as a leader of a new international AI order, promoting open-source technology while pushing back against U.S. influence over the sector’s rules.
During his opening remarks at the WAIC in Shanghai, Xi called on governments to take advantage of the historic potential of open-source AI, pledging assistance to developing nations and cautioning against technology-driven inequality.
Xi’s comments represented his strongest statement so far on China’s determination to influence global AI governance, portraying the country’s open-source models as a public resource for the world while presenting Beijing as a viable alternative to Washington in the race for technological supremacy.