President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote address at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, marking his first in-person attendance since the event's 2018 launch. This signifies Beijing's elevated focus on AI for economic growth, technological competitiveness, and global rule-setting.
China's top leadership is directly signaling AI as a national priority, intensifying geopolitical competition for AI dominance and global standards.