China to continue int’l cooperation on AI capacity-building, bridge global digital divide: spokesman

China will continue to carry out extensive international cooperation on AI, assist the Global South in building AI capacity, and contribute to bridging the global digital divide in AI, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Wednesday in Beijing.

Speaking at a regular press conference, Lin Jian said China and Zambia on Tuesday jointly held a side event of the Group of Friends for International Cooperation on AI Capacity-Building at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. It attracted representatives from more than 70 countries, including Russia, France, Brazil, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Ethiopia, as well as international organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the U.N. Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies to discuss the equitable and inclusive development of AI.

"As Chinese President Xi emphasized, AI can be an international public good that benefits all humanity. China will continue to carry out extensive international cooperation on AI, assist the Global South in building AI capacity, and contribute to bridging the global digital divide in AI," Lin said.

China will also hold the second AI capacity-building workshop this month and will invite Group of Friends for International Cooperation on AI Capacity-Building members to participate, Lin announced.

"The right to development is a universal right shared by countries worldwide and is not exclusive to a few nations. As long as countries are passionate about AI, have aspirations for AI capacity building, and are confident in international cooperation, they can foster consensus and enhance cooperation through the platform of the Group of Friends for International Cooperation on AI Capacity-Building," he added.

In July 2024, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a consensus resolution tabled by China and the core group on AI capacity-building.

After that, China launched the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and All and initiated, together with Zambia, the Group of Friends for International Cooperation on AI Capacity-Building.

China to continue int’l cooperation on AI capacity-building, bridge global digital divide: spokesman

The Chinese mainland is willing to engage in consultations with relevant parties in Taiwan on reunification under certain legal guarantees, said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

Formosa Alliance, a group in Taiwan known for its radical pro-separatism stance, has issued an open letter, expressing willingness to adjust its stance and participate in cross-Strait reunification negotiations on the condition of the "people in Taiwan governing Taiwan and a high degree of autonomy" being guaranteed by clear legal commitments.

When asked for his comment, Chen reiterated the mainland's consistent position that cross-Strait unification is inevitable.

"The two sides of the Taiwan Strait will eventually and definitely achieve reunification. We are willing to, on the shared political foundation of upholding the '1992 Consensus' and opposing 'Taiwan separatism', engage in dialogue and consultation with all political parties, groups, sectors and social strata in Taiwan regarding the development of cross-Strait relations and the future of the nation, and jointly promote the process of national reunification," he said.

Mainland open to consultations on reunification with Taiwan: spokesman