Xi Jinping Proposes A World Agency Form To Regulate Artificial Intelligence

JAKARTA - Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared prominent at a meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Saturday, November 1 by encouraging the formation of a global body that will regulate artificial intelligence (AI). This move is considered Beijing's efforts to position itself as an alternative to the dominance of the United States in global trade and technology cooperation.

Xi's statement is the first since China announced the initiative earlier this year. The United States is known to reject the idea of forming an international institution to regulate AI developments.

Xi proposed the establishment of a 'World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization' tasked with establishing governance rules and strengthening global collaboration, with the aim of making AI a 'public goods for the international community.'

"Artificial intelligence means an important meaning to future developments and must be used for the benefit of society in all countries and territories," Xi was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency. Chinese officials also mentioned that the organization is likely to be based in Shanghai, the country's main commercial hub.

Meanwhile, the United States President, Donald Trump, did not attend the APEC leader's meeting after previously holding a bilateral meeting with Xi in South Korea. Trump immediately flew back to Washington after the two leaders reached a temporary agreement for one year to ease some of the trade and technology restrictions that had sparked tensions between the world's two largest economies.

Trump's absence in the APEC forum provides Xi with the opportunity to promote China as the main supporter of Beijing's version of multilateral cooperation in trade and economic development.

In the context of the technology industry, Xi also highlighted the importance of green technology-free circulation', including the battery sector and solar panels where China holds the dominant position. On the other hand, AI developers such as DeepSek are now developing a model at a lower cost to support the country's algorithmic sovereignty' ambition, amid the dominance of Nvidia's advanced chips from the United States.

At the end of the meeting, APEC members approved a joint declaration as well as a number of deals related to AI and population challenges aging.

China was also announced to host the APEC Summit in 2026 in the city of Shenzhen a large industrial area that has grown rapidly since it was designated a special economic zone in the early 1980s.

APEC itself is a consulting forum consisting of 21 countries and represents about half of the world's total trade.