When future historians look back at pivotal moments in world history, July 16, 2026 will likely stand out as a red-letter day. On this day, the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization was established in Shanghai, uniting 29 nations and representing about half of humanity.
Having closely observed China’s trajectory for over four decades, I have learned that the country’s resurgence on the world stage is best viewed through the lens of continuity. China’s major policy initiatives are not isolated events but are parts of a larger strategic vision.
WAICO’s establishment is a logical extension of China’s broader commitment to global cooperation. Many critics of China, especially in the West, have sometimes dismissed such initiatives as mere hyperbole.
However, this superficial interpretation misses the deeper intent. China does not work that way.
Unlike in some Western countries, where policies like these are often little more than rhetoric, quickly consigned to the trash heap of history, China’s initiatives serve as a compass, guiding the country through global challenges such as AI, which pose existential threats that no single country or bloc of countries can tackle alone.
Humanity’s future is increasingly interconnected and becoming more tenuous. China’s stated objective is to build a community with a shared future for humanity, a framework based on cooperation, not confrontation. The establishment of WAICO fits into this broader vision.
AI is a transformative technology that cannot be governed effectively unilaterally or through competition alone. It will shape economic development, international security, education, healthcare, scientific research and everyday life.
If the world approaches AI only as a race for commercial advantage or strategic dominance, the risks of fragmentation, inequality and disastrous consequences will increase. A global framework for cooperation, standards, safety and shared development is not merely desirable, but also necessary.
WAICO’s significance lies in its open source philosophy. China and the other 28 founding nations have a very different approach from the closed zero-sum model followed in the Western world, where advanced technologies are treated as private intellectual property and strategic assets.
While some Western companies have built extraordinary AI capabilities, their systems are almost invariably closed source, protected by secretive proprietary models and restricted access.
From the WAICO perspective, this approach risks creating technological divides in which the benefits of AI are concentrated among a small number of corporations, wealthy countries and billionaires, while at the same time all humanity is exposed to potential perils.
China’s argument is that transformative technologies should be considered instruments of shared human progress. This does not mean rejecting innovation, markets or intellectual property, but recognizing that certain global challenges require broader shared responsibility.
In areas such as healthcare, education, poverty reduction and sustainable development, AI can become a public good that benefits societies worldwide.
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