China-Led AI Group Adds Global South Nations to Challenge US Influence

What happened

At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC 2026) in Shanghai, China unveiled WAICO on July 17 — a rival to the US and EU AI governance architecture. Xi Jinping personally opened the conference for the first time since 2018, and 29+ countries joined the new organization.

Context and impact

WAICO directly targets the Global South — countries excluded from the US and EU framework. The offer: open-weight AI models, cheaper inference costs, and a formal role in shaping AI rules. The geopolitical battle for AI governance is now explicit.

Details

• 29+ countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Laos, etc.) in WAICO
• WAIC 2026: July 17-20 in Shanghai, 100,000 sqm, 300+ global premieres
• Xi Jinping: open and inclusive AI governance vs. US/EU "AI iron curtain"
• WAIC Academic 2026 — first peer-reviewed international research forum within WAIC
• US and EU have no equivalent global AI governance platform for Global South countries