From July 17 to 20, the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance was held in Shanghai. During the conference, Xin Yanyan, Deputy Secretary-General of the Center for Global AI Innovative Governance (CGAIG), Assistant Professor at Fudan Development Institute, and the Board Member of Shanghai Association for AI and Social Development, was interviewed by International Financial News to share her views on how China’s approach to AI governance is benefiting countries across the Global South.
The following is a verbatim transcript compiled by the Center for Global AI Innovative Governance (CGAIG) based on the interview video:
Over the past year, from 2025 to 2026, artificial intelligence has evolved at an extraordinary pace. In 2025, discussions largely revolved around large language models, whereas by 2026 the focus had shifted to AI agents. Compared with traditional internet technologies or mobile internet technologies, AI has achieved an exceptionally rapid rate of public adoption. Its pace of development has far surpassed that of any previous wave of technological transformation.
On the one hand, this makes the dividends of technology accessible to a wider population. On the other hand, it also presents significant challenges on a global scale. In global AI governance, we place particular emphasis on the countries of the Global South. AI development is not driven by technology alone, it also depends on digital infrastructure, reliable electricity supply, and the presence of capable domestic technology enterprises.
Since the establishment of our Center last year, much of the discussion concerning the Global South has focused on how to help these countries bridge existing gaps. On the one hand, technological change is accelerating rapidly worldwide. On the other hand, disparities in development remain pronounced. Advanced computing power, data centers, high-quality datasets, and top AI talent continue to be concentrated in only a handful of countries and major technology companies.
Some countries in the Global South have made remarkable progress by supporting AI development through national strategies, for example Kazakhstan and several African countries such as Rwanda. However, many other countries in the Global South fear that they may become passive rule-takers in this new wave of technological transformation. They worry about being marginalized or left behind. While many are deeply impressed by China’s achievements in artificial intelligence, they also hope to engage more closely with China and to see the dividends of China’s AI development provided to Global South countries as international public goods.
One of the greatest challenges facing global AI governance today is translating shared principles into practical action. Over the past several years, governments, businesses, and academia have all recognized the importance of ensuring that AI evolves in alignment with human values, whether in discussions of safety or ethics, and of preventing AI from developing beyond meaningful human control, given the extraordinary speed of its evolution. Yet achieving consensus on governance principles is only the first step. The more difficult task is turning that consensus into concrete practice, and this remains an area where sustained international cooperation is essential. Over the past one to two years, the United States, China, the European Union, as well as neighboring countries such as Japan and the Republic of Korea, have all advanced AI-related legislation in an effort to establish governance frameworks that both support rapid innovation and safeguard security.
Last year, the conference announced the initiative to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. This year, the signing of its founding agreement has finally brought that vision into reality. This demonstrates that China is no longer simply an advocate of governance principles in advancing global AI governance. Instead, through concrete innovation and practical action, China is working to translate these principles into tangible benefits for partners across the Global South, promote inclusive development, and strengthen AI capacity-building. Every country has its own development trajectory and unique circumstances. With this new cooperation network in place, we will be better positioned to leverage China’s expertise in regional and country-specific cooperation, enabling us to respond more precisely to the concrete needs of individual countries in the Global South.
China and the United States have consistently pursued different paths for AI development. The United States continues to focus primarily on a closed-source ecosystem, with technological leadership as its central objective. China, by contrast, has emphasized innovation through an open-source ecosystem while consistently advocating inclusiveness and universal benefit. Through the sustained provision of international public goods, China has strengthened the global credibility of both its technology enterprises and its broader AI development strategy. Based on the international exchanges we have conducted, the prevailing view is that China’s AI development can play a positive role in supporting countries across the Global South.
Original URL:
https://www.ifnews.com/news.html?aid=852399
