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Twenty-Nine Countries Sign Pact to Launch China-Led World AI Cooperation Organization in Shanghai

July 16, 2026 at 18:05 EDT

Policy & Regulation

Twenty-nine countries, including Russia, signed an agreement on July 16, 2026, to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), a China-led intergovernmental body aimed at shaping global rules for artificial intelligence as Beijing intensifies its rivalry with Washington. The signing ceremony took place in Shanghai on the eve of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi among the officials in attendance and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also participating.

July 16, 2026 · Shanghai

China Launches WAICO — a 29-Nation AI Governance Bloc

Twenty-nine countries signed a founding agreement to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, a Beijing-led intergovernmental body aiming to shape global AI rules — headquartered in Shanghai, and framed as an open alternative to U.S.-led frameworks.

founding signatory countries

Asian nations among members

African countries signing on

point Global AI Governance Action Plan (2025)

Who signed vs. who did not

Membership is heavily concentrated among developing and Beijing-aligned states — major Western economies were absent.

Global South &
aligned nations

Major Western
economies

A foundational agreement — not yet a framework

No operational substance has been made public. Its real significance stays undefined.

No technical specifications No benchmarks No funding commitments No timelines No enforcement rules

Beijing's framing

An open, inclusive platform to close the "AI divide," answer Global South concerns and share AI's benefits more widely.

Analysts' read

A geopolitical play — a rule-setting alternative to U.S.-led frameworks, so far functioning mainly as a diplomatic signal.

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