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Activity Category: AI Engagement Activity

China and Zambia Co-Host UN High-Level Meeting on International Cooperation in AI Capacity-Building

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On September 25, 2024, the governments of China and Zambia jointly hosted the High-Level Meeting on International Cooperation on Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence (人工智能能力建設國際合作高級別會議) on the margins of the general debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) attended and addressed the event alongside Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Zambia’s Minister of Technology and Science Felix Mutati, and UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, with high-level representatives from more than 80 countries and international organizations participating. The meeting was convened as a follow-up to UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/78/311 on “Enhancing International Cooperation on Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence” (關於加強人工智能能力建設國際合作的決議), which China had tabled and which passed by consensus in July 2024 with 143 co-sponsoring states. In his remarks, titled “Promoting Development for All and Bridging the AI Divide,” Wang announced China’s AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All (人工智能能力建設行動計劃), a ten-point program organized around five areas: AI and digital infrastructure connectivity; model development and application cooperation; talent development and AI literacy; data construction and security governance; and AI safety and controllability. Wang also promoted Xi Jinping’s Global AI Governance Initiative (全球人工智能治理倡議), first proposed in October 2023, as the normative framework for international AI cooperation, framing it as a multilateralist alternative to what he characterized as hegemonic governance — specifically rejecting “using a single set of values as the sole standard for AI governance.” He proposed that China and Zambia co-establish a Group of Friends for International Cooperation on AI Capacity-Building (人工智能能力建設國際合作之友小組) at the United Nations to advance implementation of the resolution and the action plan. In CCP diplomatic discourse, “friendship” generally carries political expectations of accommodation of China’s core interests.

China and Zambia Co-Host Inaugural Meeting of Group of Friends for International Cooperation on AI Capacity-Building at the United Nations

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On December 3, 2024, China and Zambia co-hosted the inaugural meeting of the Group of Friends for International Cooperation on AI Capacity-Building (人工智能能力建設國際合作之友小組) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, formally establishing the group. Fu Cong (傅聰), China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and Prudence Kaoma, acting Permanent Secretary of Zambia’s Ministry of Finance and National Planning, delivered opening remarks, with representatives from more than 80 countries and several UN agencies attending, including the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology. The group was established as a direct follow-up mechanism to UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/78/311 (關於加強人工智能能力建設國際合作的決議) and to China’s AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All (人工智能能力建設行動計劃), announced at the September 2024 UN General Assembly high-level meeting. According to China’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Fu invoked Xi Jinping’s Global AI Governance Initiative (全球人工智能治理倡議) as the normative foundation for the group’s work, framing it around “fairness and inclusiveness” and “multilateralism” — terms China uses in AI governance contexts to promote state-centered regulatory frameworks as an alternative to norms that emphasize individual rights or Western institutional leadership. Kaoma said Zambia expected the group to bridge the AI divide and support the UN’s role in global AI governance. According to the People’s Daily, the meeting marked China’s second major AI governance event at the UN in three months.

SCO Tianjin Summit Statement on Deepening International Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence

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The 25th Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (上海合作組織), convening in Tianjin on August 31–September 1, 2025, adopted the Tianjin Declaration (天津宣言) alongside a dedicated “Statement on Further Deepening International Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence” (上海合作組織成員國元首理事會關於進一步深化人工智能國際合作的聲明) — one of five thematic statements issued at the summit. Attended by more than 20 heads of state including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the summit affirmed that “all countries have equal rights to develop and use artificial intelligence” and committed member states to improving the security, accountability, transparency, and fairness of AI systems. The statement invoked the “Shanghai Spirit” (上海精神) — the SCO’s governing motto emphasizing “mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, and consultation” as a counterweight to what Beijing frames as Western-led hegemonic norms — as the normative foundation for AI cooperation, while pledging to pursue AI that is “open, inclusive, universally beneficial, fair, and for good” (開放、包容、普惠、公平、向善), a formulation echoing Xi’s Global AI Governance Initiative. Member states also committed to developing “trustworthy AI systems” (可信賴的人工智能系統) while “respecting national sovereignty” (尊重國家主權), a phrase that in CCP discourse typically signals state-centered regulatory standards over those that emphasize citizens and other stakeholders. Member states endorsed the Roadmap for the Implementation of the [SCO Member States’ Cooperation Program on Artificial Intelligence Development](http://web.archive.org/web/20251125061238/https://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/pc/content/202511/20/content30115908.html)_ (上合組織成員國人工智能領域合作發展規劃實施路線圖), agreed in Chengdu on June 12, 2025, and Xi proposed building a joint AI Application Cooperation Center, extending the proposal first floated at the China-SCO AI Cooperation Forum in Tianjin in May 2025.

China-ASEAN Digital Academy and AI Industry Innovation Center Announced

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On January 14, 2026, at the China-ASEAN Digital Ecosystem Cooperation Networking Dinner in Hanoi, Vietnam — held alongside the 6th ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting — China and ASEAN formally announced plans to establish the China-ASEAN Digital Academy (中国—东盟数字学院) and the China-ASEAN AI Industry Innovation Center (中国—东盟人工智能产业创新中心). The event was co-organized by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部) and the China Academy of Information and Communication Technology (中国信息通信研究院), and attended by former Cambodian minister and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn (高金洪) and Chinese Vice Minister Zhang Yunming (张云明). The centers’ launch is scheduled for 2026, according to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, and forms part of the ASEAN-China Action Plan on Building a Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Ecosystem (2026-2030), aimed at developing digital talent, promoting open-source AI technology, and advancing AI security governance across the region.

African Nations Pledge AI Cooperation with China

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At the three-yearly Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit in Beijing on September 5, 2024, China and the African Union outlined AI cooperation in the Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027). African countries welcomed China’s Global AI Governance Initiative (全球人工智能治理倡議) and supported developing countries’ rights in global AI governance. Both sides are committed to bridging the AI and digital divide while jointly preventing risks, opposing technological monopolies, and building international governance frameworks with the UN as the main channel. The agreement established a China-Africa Digital Technology Cooperation Center (中非數字技術合作中心), with China agreeing to facilitate 20 digital infrastructure and transformation projects. Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation on digital literacy, cybersecurity, data security (數據安全), and cross-border data flow protocols (跨境數據流動規則). They coordinated on regulating AI applications while promoting AI’s safe use in governance, emphasizing equal access to technology development without ideological divisions. 53 African nations were reportedly in attendance at the summit. 

China Signs AI Cooperation Pact with Brazil

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During a diplomatic meeting in Brazil on July 5, 2025, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) signed a series of agreements with Brazilian government agencies, including an artificial intelligence cooperation pact witnessed by both nations’ leaders. The memorandum of understanding establishes what the Chinese government describes as a “China-Brazil Artificial Intelligence Application Cooperation Center” (中国－巴西人工智能应用合作中心), with stated goals of “strengthening AI development foundations, providing open-source services, enhancing industrial innovation partnerships, and promoting talent development.” Vice Chairman Liu Sushe (刘苏社) represented China’s DRC in signing the bilateral agreements with Brazil’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Presidential Office’s Civil Affairs department.

2025 ASEAN-China Media Cooperation Forum

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The 2025 ASEAN-China Media Cooperation Forum convened on May 25, 2025, in Luoyang, Henan Province, themed “Harnessing the Power of AI to Enhance Communication Cooperation in the Region.” The event brought together approximately 150 attendees including diplomatic envoys and media professionals from all 10 ASEAN member states, plus Chinese government officials and media representatives. Key participants included Secretary General Shi Zhongjun (石中軍) of the ASEAN-China Center, Cambodia’s minister of information Kem Gunawadh, Vietnam’s deputy minister Phan Tam, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General San Lwin (via video), and President Du Zhanyuan (杜占元) of the China International Communications Group. International partners included: diplomatic representatives from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, plus ASEAN Youth Organization representatives. Co-hosted by the ASEAN-China Center (中國—東盟中心) and China International Communications Group (中國外文局), the forum launched joint initiatives on AI-powered media ecosystem governance and new media exchange programs, with discussions focused on what organizers characterized as combating fake news and promoting responsible AI use in media.

8th World Artificial Intelligence Conference

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The 8th World Artificial Intelligence Conference (世界人工智能大会), or WAIC, was held in Shanghai from July 28 to July 30, 2025, with participation from representatives from more than 40 countries — as China pressed to position itself as a global leader on AI development and governance. WAIC is an annual Shanghai-based event that bills itself as “one of the most influential AI events within the global tech, science, and industry ecosystem.” Launched in 2018 and hosted by several Chinese government ministries and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government (上海市人民政府), with Donghao Lansheng Group (东浩兰生集团) as executive organizer, WAIC has convened for seven consecutive years, featuring scientists, entrepreneurs, government officials, and investors. Donghao Lansheng Group is a state-owned enterprise based in Shanghai, whose sole shareholder is the Shanghai State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (上海市国有资产监督管理委员会). Co-organizing ministries include the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展和改革委员会), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部), the Ministry of Science and Technology (科学技术部), the State Internet Information Office (国家互联网信息办公室), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院), the Chinese Academy of Engineering (中国工程院), and the Chinese Association for Science and Technology (中国科学技术协会). The 2025 edition, held July 26-28 under the theme “Global Solidarity in the AI Era,” attracted over 800 companies and featured more than 3,000 exhibits — and was heavily billed by state media as a sign of China’s global leadership on AI safety and other key emerging global issues in the field. Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李强) used the platform to propose a global AI governance framework, while CNN reported the conference showcased China’s technological capabilities amid ongoing US-China AI competition, with demonstrations including “mahjong-playing humanoid” robots and boxing robots that “quickly caught the attention of visitors.”

Sberbank Cooperates with China on AI Projects

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In February 2025, Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, announced plans to collaborate with Chinese researchers on joint AI projects, as First Deputy CEO Alexander Vedyakhin told Reuters. This partnership emerges as China’s DeepSeek disrupts the tech landscape with its low-cost AI models challenging U.S. competitors. The collaboration follows President Putin’s January directive ordering Sberbank and the Russian government to develop AI cooperation with China amid Western sanctions restricting Moscow’s access to advanced computing hardware. Under CEO German Gref, Sberbank has transformed from a Soviet-era institution into a leading Russian AI player, releasing its GigaChat model in 2023. This initiative reflects the deepening “no limits” strategic partnership between Moscow and Beijing, with both nations aiming to challenge U.S. dominance in AI as Russia, currently ranked 31st globally in AI implementation, seeks alternative technological solutions.