The development and governance of artificial intelligence should be a global effort. It should not be a solo performance by any single country, but rather “a symphony of global cooperation”, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the opening of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 17.
The remark encapsulated the broader message that extended well beyond technology. It was as much about geopolitics and emerging contests for global influence as about AI.
For Pakistan, the conference deserved far greater attention than it received. The country is among the 29 founding members of the newly established World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (Waico), a China-led intergovernmental initiative formally launched on July 16. Yet its creation and the opportunities it presents for Pakistan and other developing economies received little discussion in the country’s mainstream media.
Waico has the potential to become an important platform for countries seeking to participate more actively in the AI revolution rather than remaining dependent on technologies developed and controlled elsewhere. For Pakistan, where fiscal constraints, limited computing infrastructure and shortages of skilled professionals continue to impede digital transformation, collaboration on AI research, training and infrastructure could prove especially valuable.
China’s push for a more inclusive global AI order offers us opportunities
The Shanghai conference underscored a broader reality: artificial intelligence is no longer merely a technological issue but a central element of global strategic competition. China is increasingly positioning itself as an alternative to the United States in shaping AI governance. Its message is that access to AI models, computing resources, expertise and infrastructure should not be restricted to a handful of advanced economies but should also be available to developing countries at an affordable cost.
Waico reflects this vision. Its founding members include several major Global South countries, among them Indonesia, Brazil, Malaysia, South Africa, Senegal, Russia and Pakistan. Officially, the organisation aims to promote international collaboration on AI while encouraging regulatory frameworks that ensure the technology remains safe and beneficial.
At the same time, it provides Beijing with a platform to strengthen its influence over emerging international AI governance, particularly as global rules are still taking shape. This initiative unfolds against the backdrop of an intensifying US-China technology rivalry. Washington has imposed restrictions on China’s access to advanced semiconductor technologies on national security grounds, while Beijing has responded by limiting exports of critical minerals and other dual-use technologies. Increasingly, competition extends beyond hardware to encompass AI standards, supply chains and the rules governing the technology’s global development and use.
Although US export controls continue to limit China’s access to the most advanced chips, Beijing retains significant strengths. It has invested heavily in computing infrastructure and data centres, dominates the production of several rare earth minerals essential to advanced technologies, and possesses substantial electricity-generation capacity to support energy-intensive AI systems. China is also distinguishing itself through international technology partnerships.
At the Shanghai conference, it pledged 5,000 AI training and seminar opportunities for developing countries, announced plans for regional AI cooperation centres, and offered support for deploying Chinese AI models and applications overseas.
For countries such as Pakistan, these initiatives address a pressing challenge. Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a general-purpose technology with applications across education, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, finance, defence and public administration. Nations that fail to develop domestic computing capacity, technical expertise and supporting infrastructure risk becoming long-term consumers of foreign AI systems rather than active participants in their development.
This concern featured prominently throughout the Shanghai conference. Participants argued that international AI governance should encourage wider participation rather than create regulatory barriers that entrench existing technological advantages. United Nations Technology Envoy Amandeep Singh Gill similarly stressed the importance of ensuring that AI capabilities do not remain concentrated within a small number of countries and regions.
China has sought to position itself as a partner in addressing this imbalance. Xi pledged support for developing countries in strengthening AI innovation, applications and governance. The appeal of this approach lies not only in access to technology but also in the accompanying investment in skills and institutional capacity.
Nevertheless, strategic considerations are inseparable from these initiatives. China’s outreach coincides with parallel US efforts to build international technology partnerships and secure AI-related supply chains. Waico therefore represents more than a technical cooperation mechanism; it also forms part of a broader contest between competing visions of technological leadership.
Pakistan’s National Artificial Intelligence Policy 2025 aligns with many of the priorities highlighted through Waico, particularly in expanding AI infrastructure, mobilising investment and strengthening human capital. Likewise, the AI Seekho programme’s objective of training one million people could provide a stronger foundation for meaningful participation in the global AI economy if implemented effectively. Realising these opportunities, however, will require more than policy commitments.
Islamabad must identify practical areas of cooperation with China and other Waico members, including research partnerships, workforce development, computing infrastructure and technology transfer. Equally important, it should use its membership to advocate for international AI governance frameworks that reflect the needs and developmental realities of emerging economies rather than reinforcing existing technological inequalities.
The global AI race is well underway. For Pakistan and other developing countries, the promise of “AI for all” will ultimately depend not on access alone but on their ability to build, adapt and govern artificial intelligence as active participants in its future.
Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, July 27th, 2026
