Introduction
Global AI governance has entered a new phase of institution building. The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference & High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance produced a series of major outcomes. Of particular significance was the formal establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO). China also announced that, over the next five years, it would provide developing countries with 5,000 opportunities in AI training and seminar programs, thereby supporting global AI development for good and for all. What gaps in the existing global governance architecture is WAICO expected to fill? What global value does AI capacity building for developing countries offer? As strategic competition between China and the United States continues to intensify, is there scope for practical cooperation between the two countries within the WAICO framework? In this episode of SinoAI Insights, we take the outcomes unveiled at the Shanghai summit as our point of departure to examine China’s approach to global AI governance, assess WAICO’s institutional positioning and global role, and explore pathways for global AI safety governance and workable options for multilateral cooperation amid intensifying strategic competition among major powers.
Host
Xiao Qian
Deputy Director, Center for International Security and Strategy,Tsinghua University
Guests
Yao Xu
Secretary-General of the Center for Global AI Innovative Governance; Associate Professor at the Fudan Development Institute, Fudan University
Chen Shu
Distinguished Visiting Professor, Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University; Senior Fellow, Centre for Civil Society and Governance, The University of Hong Kong; former Managing Director of Public Policy for Greater China, Mongolia and Central Asia at Meta
What You Will Hear
03:12 What Changed at WAIC 2026: Three Defining Keywords
06:40 WAIC’s Evolution from a Technology Expo into a Multilateral Platform for Global AI Governance
10:15 Why AI Capacity Building for Developing Countries Matters Globally
19:30 Why WAICO Was Created and How It Differs from Existing International AIGovernance Mechanisms
24:15 How Global Industry and Regional Governance Bodies View WAICO
28:50 The Domestic Logic Behind China’s Stronger Focus on AI Safety and How It Is Viewed Internationally
33:10 WAICO from a U.S. Perspective: A Vehicle for Geopolitical Competition or a Multilateral Public Good?
38:45 Prospects for Pragmatic China-U.S. Cooperation Under the WAICO Framework
43:20 How WAIC and WAICO Are Reshaping China’s Role in Global AI Governance
47:10 Key Global AI Governance Issues to Watch Over the Coming Year
Source：CISS
Executive Producer：XIAO Qian
Producers：LIU Yuan、WANG Yexu
Podcast Editor：XU Ruijia
Content Assistant：ZHONG Junwen
Graphics Designer：CAI Leyao
ORL：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/UdLsItXxwVKaaggih0Pcxg
