From Shanghai to the World: What Did WAIC 2026 Tell Us About the Future of AI Governance?

As global AI governance enters a new institutional-building phase, the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) has delivered four landmark outcomes to foster a fair and rational global AI governance system. First, it advances global AI governance from conceptual initiatives to tangible implementation, focusing on building institutional cooperation platforms, expanding international collaboration channels, and translating governance concepts into practical measures. Second, it places AI safety at the heart of its agenda, coordinates development and security, balances innovation and regulation, and upholds human-centric, ethical principles to ensure AI development remains secure, reliable, and controllable. Third, the conference formally launches the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO), strengthening the representation and voice of Global South countries in global AI governance. Fourth, China will offer 5,000 specialized AI training slots for developing countries to advance inclusive and equitable global AI development. Is China shifting from a participant in global AI rule-setting to a builder of global AI governance mechanisms? What gaps in existing global frameworks will WAICO address? What global value does AI capacity building for the Global South hold? Amid U.S.-China strategic competition, are there avenues for bilateral engagement with the new organization? In this episode of SinoAI Insights, we take the major outcomes of WAIC 2026 as our starting point to interpret China’s AI governance approach, analyze WAICO’s global positioning, and explore pathways for global AI safety regulation and viable models of multilateral AI cooperation amid U.S.-China strategic competition. **【Host】** ·**XIAO Qian,** Deputy Director, Center for International Security and Strategy, Tsinghua University **【Guests】** ·**YAO Xu**, Secretary-General, Center for Global AI Innovative Governance; Associate Professor, Fudan Development Institute, Fudan University ·**George CHEN**, Distinguished Visiting Professor, Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University; Senior Fellow, Centre for Civil Society and Governance, The University of Hong Kong; Former Managing Director, Public Policy, Greater China at Meta  **【Shownotes】** 03:12 Core Shifts and Three Defining Keywords of WAIC 2026 06:40 WAIC: Evolving from a Tech Expo to a Multilateral Platform for Global AI Governance 10:15 Why AI Capacity Building for Developing Countries Matters Globally 19:30 The Genesis of WAICO and Its Distinction from Existing International AI Governance Regimes 24:15 Perspectives of Global Tech and Industrial Sectors, as well as Regional Governance Bodies on WAICO 28:50 The Internal Logic Behind China’s Elevated AI Safety Agenda and International Interpretations 33:10 U.S. Perceptions of WAICO: A Geopolitical Instrument or a Multilateral Public Good 38:45 Prospects for Practical U.S.-China Cooperation Under the WAICO Framework 43:20 How WAIC and WAICO Reshape China’s Role in Global AI Governance 47:10 Key Global AI Governance Issues to Watch in the Coming Year  **【Team】** Executive Producer: XIAO Qian Producers: LIU Yuan, WANG Yexu Podcast Editor: XU Ruijia Content Assistant: ZHONG Junwen Graphics Designer: CAI Leyao