Xi calls for 'just and equitable' AI governance
Chinese President Xi Jinping used his keynote at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai to outline a vision of AI governance that challenges American leadership. In a speech titled "Joining Hands to Build a Just and Equitable System for Global AI Governance," Xi emphasized open-source development and called for international rules that prevent any single nation from dominating the technology. He positioned China as a voice for the Global South in AI policy debates.
Chinese AI models match US rivals
The conference came days after Chinese startup Moonshot AI released its Kimi model, which stunned developers by matching frontier-level results from American systems at a fraction of the cost. The release signals that Chinese labs can now compete with — and in some cases outperform — their US counterparts. Separately, Apple secured Chinese government approval to launch Apple Intelligence in the country, clearing a major roadblock for the iPhone maker in the world's largest smartphone market.
Global AI race intensifies
The conference highlighted the accelerating competition between the US and China for AI leadership. While the US has imposed export controls on advanced chips, China has focused on algorithmic efficiency and open-source models. Japan announced plans to purchase thousands of Nvidia chips to build its own AI ecosystem, while Gulf state AI firms are pursuing strategies to become US-based companies to access restricted technology.