The establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) marks China's latest strategic maneuver to carve out a significant role in international AI governance. Officially launched just ahead of Xi Jinping's keynote address at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, this initiative reveals China's ambition to shape the trajectory of global AI norms.
During the conference, which took place on July 17, Xi's first in-person address since its inception in 2018, he vocally supported the idea of "true multilateralism." This concept underpins Beijing's aims to foster an alternative global order under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. By reiterating principles from his earlier speeches, Xi outlined the role WAICO will play in addressing issues pertinent to the Global South and promoting cooperative AI governance.
The timing of WAICO's launch aligns with China’s increasing emphasis on embedding its governance models within the broader AI ecosystem. Proposed originally by Premier Li Qiang during the 2025 conference, WAICO represents a transition from only discussing AI governance principles to creating institutional frameworks through which these principles can be acted upon.
WAICO emerges amid a backdrop where digital authoritarianism continues to gain traction. The organization could inadvertently embed such governance approaches, risking the institutionalization of practices that prioritize state control over fundamental human rights and ethical considerations in AI development.
On July 16, 29 founding nations signed the agreement to establish WAICO, including countries predominantly from Africa and the Middle East, such as Algeria, Kenya, and South Africa, alongside nations from Asia like China and Indonesia. Europe’s signatories included Belarus and Russia, while Brazil represented Latin America. Many of these countries are already intertwined in China's Belt and Road Initiative, suggesting that economic dependencies might facilitate greater alignment with China's regulatory ideology.
Xi framed WAICO as a major initiative responding to the Global South's call, indicating China's ongoing commitment to a partnership model in AI development. His framing harkens back to China's longstanding rhetoric on "cyber sovereignty," asserting that the digital realm falls under national governance, which can limit international accountability and oversight.
While WAICO intends to serve as a legitimate platform for international dialogue, the real question is whether it can successfully distance itself from promoting the digital authoritarianism associated with China’s domestic policies. International organizations shape norms through mechanisms such as convening dialogues, crafting technical standards, and fostering professional networks. These pathways will likely be pivotal in solidifying the ideologies underpinning AI governance.
The organization aims to normalize China’s AI principles, potentially empowering member countries to advocate for these tenets at other international forums. Xi's speech outlined China's commitment to providing substantial AI training, offering 5,000 opportunities to developing nations over the next five years, which will help introduce Chinese technologies and standards into foreign markets.
This strategy aligns with China's broader view of AI as an integral component of its infrastructure. Rather than merely exporting isolated applications, Beijing is focused on delivering comprehensive ecosystems encompassing computing resources, standards, and knowledge transfer.
In addition to promoting Chinese AI technologies abroad, the latest Five-Year Plan emphasizes accelerating the global integration of Chinese AI solutions. Xi also underscored the importance of open-source AI development, framing it as a democratizing force while strategically nudging the adoption of Chinese models and tools globally. This approach coincides closely with the launch of Moonshot AI’s newest open-source model, Kimi K3, which seeks to position itself competitively against existing Western models.
While WAICO aspires to be a significant player in global AI governance, its journey is still fraught with uncertainty. The organization's ability to influence international norms will depend on its actions and the extent to which it can generate real engagement beyond mere aspirations.
Nonetheless, when a nation with a history of enforcing stringent digital governance models seeks to shape international AI frameworks, it merits careful scrutiny. WAICO's portrayal as a paragon of "true multilateralism" is juxtaposed against China’s broader tendency towards a state-centric governance model, which risks marginalizing human rights considerations in the evolution of AI regulations.
Shift in international norms is seldom driven by singular events but rather through the gradual establishment of networks, standards, and institutions. Observing WAICO's development will be critical in understanding its influence on the future of global AI governance.
Michael Caster, leading the Global China Program at Article19 and co-founder of Safeguard Defenders, emphasizes the importance of vigilance as WAICO unfolds.
