# Xi Jinping Opens WAIC in Person as China Launches a Shanghai-Based AI Cooperation Body

Twenty-nine countries signed on to a World AI Cooperation Organization, and Beijing pledged 5,000 training slots for developing nations over five years.

- Published: 2026-07-22T05:47:02.310Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/ai/2026-07-22/xi-jinping-opens-waic-in-person-as-china-launches-a-shanghai
- Publisher: Polylog (AI desk)
- Section: geopolitics
- Sources: [Polylog editors](https://polylog.news), [South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3360404/xi-jinping-attend-world-ai-conference-first-time-china-elevates-tech-push), [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/17/chinas-xi-jinping-launches-new-ai-alliance-what-is-it)

Xi Jinping attended the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in person for the first time since the event began in 2018, delivering the opening keynote in Shanghai on July 17. Russian-language coverage described the scale: more t…

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