29 Nations Join China-Led World AI Cooperation Organization

Twenty-nine nations formalized the establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) on Thursday (July 16), according to Reuters, marking a significant step by Beijing to institutionalize its influence over the global digital economy and the rules governing emerging technologies.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi joined representatives from founding member states—including Russia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Laos—at a signing ceremony in Shanghai to cement the new intergovernmental body. Headquartered in Shanghai, WAICO is structured as an independent international organization guided by United Nations Charter principles, with a stated mission to promote “beneficial, safe, and fair” AI development, according to the CGTN.

The organization’s launch arrives amid intensifying competition between Washington and Beijing over the future of the global AI ecosystem. At the concurrent World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), Chinese officials are positioning the country as a champion of “sovereign AI,” promoting low-cost, open-source models as a public good intended to bridge global technological inequality. This diplomatic strategy is increasingly aimed at Southeast Asian and developing nations that fear being left behind in the AI race, according to a May report from Yale.

For the FinTech, banking and payments sectors, the formation of WAICO signals a concerted push toward a multi-polar technological landscape. This drive for self-sufficiency was highlighted by the debut of Huawei’s Atlas 950 SuperPoD, a massive AI computing cluster designed to function independently of high-end U.S. semiconductors from firms like Nvidia.

President Xi Jinping, who has compared the AI revolution to the historical impact of the steam engine, has explicitly linked future economic growth to the integration of AI across China’s economy. The presence of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the ceremony underscored the high stakes of this new governance framework.

However, the notable absence of major U.S. technology firms at the Shanghai summit highlights a widening rift in global governance. For global financial institutions, the emergence of WAICO suggests a future where digital standards and AI-driven financial tools may diverge significantly between Western-aligned markets and those adopting Beijing’s governance model.