Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the formation of a global organization to govern artificial intelligence during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit on Saturday. Speaking to the assembly, Xi suggested a “World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization” could be created to establish governance rules and promote international cooperation on the technology.
In remarks published by the state-run Xinhua news agency, Xi stated the goal would be to make AI a “public good for the international community.” He added, “Artificial intelligence is of great significance for future development and should be made for the benefit of people in all countries and regions.”
Chinese officials have previously indicated that the proposed organization could be based in Shanghai. The proposal represents China’s first formal call for such a body on the international stage. The United States has in the past stated its position against creating new international bodies to regulate AI development.
The APEC leaders’ summit took place in Gyeongju, South Korea. U.S. President Donald Trump did not attend the final leaders’ meeting, having departed for Washington after a bilateral meeting with Xi earlier. That meeting resulted in an agreement for a one-year partial rollback of certain trade and technology controls between the two countries.
During his address, Xi also called on APEC members to facilitate the “free circulation” of green technologies, including batteries and solar panels.
At the conclusion of the summit, APEC member economies approved a joint declaration. The declaration included agreements on addressing the challenges of artificial intelligence and aging populations.
APEC is a consultative forum comprising 21 member economies that collectively account for approximately half of global trade. The organization focuses on promoting free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
Officials also announced that China will host the 2026 APEC summit. The event is scheduled to be held in Shenzhen, a city that became one of China’s first special economic zones in the 1980s and is now a major technology and manufacturing center.
