Xi Jinping Pushes for Global AI Governance Body at APEC — China’s Answer to U.S. Tech Dominance
Beijing, Nov 1 — Chinese President Xi Jinping took the spotlight at the APEC Leaders’ Summit on Saturday, calling for the creation of a global organization to govern artificial intelligence (AI) — a move widely viewed as Beijing’s bid to counterbalance U.S. influence in the rapidly evolving AI landscape and global trade order.
This marks Xi’s first public remarks on the initiative, which China unveiled earlier this year. The proposal aims to establish a “World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization” that would develop governance standards, promote international collaboration, and position AI as a “public good for the global community.”
“Artificial intelligence is of great significance for future development and should be made for the benefit of people in all countries and regions,” Xi said, according to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency.
Chinese officials have suggested that the organization could be headquartered in Shanghai, one of the country’s key commercial and technology hubs.
A Counterweight to U.S. Resistance on AI Regulation
While China has been pushing for global coordination on AI governance, the United States has largely resisted efforts to create regulatory frameworks through international bodies, arguing that such moves could restrict innovation.
Analysts see Xi’s APEC speech as part of a broader strategy to position China as a leader in global AI policy, particularly as Washington and Beijing compete for dominance in semiconductor and AI technologies.
Xi’s remarks also came against the backdrop of U.S.-China trade tensions, which the two nations have sought to ease. Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump held bilateral talks before the summit, resulting in a one-year deal to partially roll back trade and technology restrictions that had intensified in recent years. Trump, however, skipped the APEC leaders’ session in Gyeongju, South Korea, returning directly to Washington after meeting with Xi.
China’s Broader Tech and Trade Ambitions
Beyond AI, Xi used the APEC platform to advocate for the “free circulation of green technologies”, an area where China already leads in industries like solar panels, batteries, and electric vehicles.
He emphasized that these technologies should be shared globally to accelerate sustainable growth — a message aligning with China’s push to dominate climate-tech supply chains as part of its economic strategy.
Meanwhile, the AI race remains intense. U.S. chipmaker Nvidia’s advanced processors continue to power much of the global AI boom, but Chinese developers such as DeepSeek are introducing cost-effective alternatives as Beijing pursues what it calls “algorithmic sovereignty.”
Looking Ahead
The APEC summit concluded with a joint declaration addressing AI governance and the challenges of ageing populations. China also announced that it will host the 2026 APEC Summit in Shenzhen, a city that evolved from a small fishing village into a global tech powerhouse since becoming one of China’s first special economic zones in the 1980s.
As APEC — a forum of 21 economies representing half of global trade — looks to navigate the AI era, Xi’s latest initiative signals Beijing’s growing ambition to shape the global rules of technology and innovation.