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‘Symphony, Not Solo’: China Offers the World a Glimpse of Its AI Might at WAIC 2026

Signage at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, held from 17 to 20 July. Photo: Official Agency, PRC

The World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai closed with 20.36 billion yuan in intended procurement deals, a new intergovernmental AI body signed by 29 countries, and Xi Jinping’s first in-person address a coordinated pitch to the Global South weeks after Washington launched its own AI alliance.