Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a major speech on July 17, 2026, at the opening of the 2026 World AI Conference in Shanghai. He called for countries to work together on how artificial intelligence is developed and warned against using national security as an excuse to block other countries from getting technology.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, refers to computer systems that can do things normally requiring human intelligence, like recognizing speech, making decisions, or generating text. Because AI is becoming powerful quickly, governments around the world are debating how to manage the risks.

The speech was titled "Joining Hands to Build a Just and Equitable System For Global AI Governance," and it laid out four points about AI development and governance, according to a readout from China's official English-language government portal (english.www.gov.cn). The conference runs through July 20 in Shanghai.

Xi's main message was that no single country should control AI's future. "AI development should not be a solo performance by a single country, but a symphony of international cooperation," he said, according to Al Jazeera. He also said countries should "jointly oppose overstretching the national security concept in the field of AI or placing one country's security over that of others."

That language points directly at the United States. The U.S. government has been restricting China's access to advanced AI chips, the specialized computer hardware needed to build powerful AI systems. In May 2026, the U.S. Commerce Department confirmed that these restrictions also apply to Chinese companies' offices located outside China, extending the rules beyond U.S. borders (Al Jazeera). Xi did not name the United States, but the phrase "overstretching the national security concept" is wording China regularly uses to describe American technology restrictions.

Xi also called for a "people-centred" approach to AI, meaning the technology should serve people and stay under human control. "We should put in place laws and regulations, technological monitoring, early warning, and emergency response systems, in order to … ensure AI is always under human control," he said.

He announced plans to cooperate with countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the BRICS group (a club of major emerging economies) to share AI-related opportunities. He said making sure developing countries can access AI technology would prevent "new historical injustices." This fits with China's broader strategy of presenting itself as a champion of poorer nations, as CNBC reported under the headline "Xi pitches China as AI partner to developing world."

The conference itself carries real significance. On July 16, the day before Xi's speech, twenty-nine countries signed an agreement to create a global AI cooperation body, according to Reuters. This builds on an idea Xi first proposed at the APEC leaders' meeting in November 2025 (Reuters).

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning had announced in early June that China would host the conference, showing that the diplomatic groundwork was laid weeks ahead.

The broader context here is a tug-of-war over who gets to write the rules for AI. Western countries, led by the United States, have focused on safety and on using export controls to keep advanced AI technology out of the wrong hands. China is offering a different approach: it pairs talk of safety with a promise to spread AI technology to developing countries. The twenty-nine-country agreement, if it becomes a working organization, would give that alternative approach a real institutional home. The specific countries that signed were not listed in the available reporting, and the body's exact powers, voting rules, and relationship to existing international organizations are not yet clear.

By calling chip restrictions a national-security overreach and inviting developing countries to the AI governance table, Beijing is trying to shape the debate on its own terms rather than simply fighting rules written in Washington.