China's Xi to address Global AI Governance summit in Shanghai

Chinese President Xi Jinping will address a high-level summit on artificial intelligence (AI) in Shanghai this week, Beijing said Monday.

The 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance will be held from Friday to Monday, the Foreign Ministry said.

Xi will attend the opening ceremony and deliver a keynote speech at the conference, which will be held under the theme “Intelligent Partners, Co-create the Future,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing.

The president will “systemically elaborate on China’s policies, position, visions and propositions on AI development and governance,” Lin said.

“AI technological innovation is undergoing broad-based breakthroughs, demonstrating unprecedented dynamism. Such progress brings both opportunities and challenges to the international community, making AI governance a profound topic of our times,” he said.

Lin said Xi has put forward the Global AI Governance Initiative and that China “is committed to providing international public goods, advocating AI for good and for all with real actions, and helping the Global South strengthen capacity-building.”

“Through this conference,” he added, “China looks forward to building a platform for various parties to enhance mutual trust, pool consensus, and deepen cooperation so as to promote the sound, safe and orderly development of AI, and make this conference a milestone in the history of AI development.”

Foreign government officials, representatives from industries, universities and research institutes, as well as heads of international organizations, have been invited to the conference, Lin said.