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Xi Jinping calls for ‘openness’, opposes ‘one country’ rule in AI – as it happened

President’s personal attendance seen as a sign of China’s inclusion of artificial intelligence into broader geopolitical strategy

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WATCH LIVE: Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at world AI conference
SCMP Reporters
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Introduction

President Xi Jinping spoke on Friday at the opening of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), China’s largest annual event for the AI industry.

Xi’s personal attendance elevated the conference’s profile, and signalled AI development has become both a technological imperative and a cornerstone of China’s geopolitical strategy.

As Washington maintains strict export controls on advanced semiconductors and restricts overseas access to top AI models, Beijing has accelerated its drive for tech self-reliance.

Reporting by Sylvia Ma, Coco Feng and Howard Liu

More from our coverage:

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– As US AI costs soar, global businesses pivot to China’s low-cost, open-weight models
– China memory giant CXMT valued at US$85 billion in record Shanghai IPO
– China’s StepFun claims it has unveiled the world’s first AI smartphone
– Global AI boom sees China’s chip exports nearly double in first half of year
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