Chinese premier Li Qiang proposes global AI coordination body amid US deregulation moves
Chinese premier Li Qiang called for an international organisation to coordinate AI development and security at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on Saturday.
Li said AI is a new engine for growth but warned current governance is fragmented. He pushed for a “globally recognised framework” to balance AI progress with security risks. 
His comments came days after US president Donald Trump announced a low-regulation AI strategy targeting “woke” models, aiming to boost American tech dominance.
Opening the WAIC, Li emphasized open-source AI and international cooperation, especially sharing advances with developing countries.
“The risks and challenges brought by artificial intelligence have drawn widespread attention … How to find a balance between development and security urgently requires further consensus from the entire society,” Li said.
Washington has imposed export controls on high-end AI chips and equipment to China, citing military concerns. Li did not mention the US directly but warned that AI could become an “exclusive game” for a few countries and companies. He also flagged supply issues for AI chips and restricted talent exchange.
The three-day WAIC gathers industry leaders and officials amid rising China-US tech tensions. Major names at the event included French AI envoy Anne Bouverot, AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, and ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Tesla CEO Elon Musk skipped this year.
Participants include Huawei, Alibaba, and startups like Unitree. Western firms Tesla, Alphabet, and Amazon also took part.
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