New Delhi, July 18 -- China formally launched the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO) in Shanghai on July 17, 2026. Xi Jinping announced the initiative at the World AI Conference with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in attendance. Twenty-nine founding nations from the Global South signed on, including Brazil, Indonesia, Russia, and South Africa. Beijing is positioning WAICO as an alternative to US-led AI governance frameworks.

SHANGHAI - The hall in Pudong where Xi Jinping opened the World AI Conference on Thursday had a carefully chosen guest list. Twenty-nine countries signed onto the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation at the ceremony, and the UN Secretary-General sat in the front ro...