AI support measures announced by Xi warmly welcomed by int'l attendees

China's ambitious measures to support global AI development, announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the 2026 World AI Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai on Friday, received a warm welcome from international attendees.

Delivering a keynote speech at the event, Xi said China will provide developing countries with 5,000 opportunities for AI training and seminars over the next five years.

The president said China will develop international AI application cooperation centers with ASEAN, the League of Arab States, the African Union, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS.

China will help 30 countries utilize the AI-powered MAZU meteorological early warning system to protect people's lives and property around the world, Xi added.

The announced measures drew praise from many attendees, including Alex Zhavoronkov, founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine, who said they would bring significant changes to the world.

"II think that the great leader managed to put the agenda that is absolutely world-class. It's changing the world. Already, today China is leading the world in open source models," said Zhavoronkov.

Xi also announced the establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, a move that Venezuelan Sectoral Vice President of Health, Science and Technology and Ecosocialism, Isabel Iturria, described as vital not only for AI development but for the survival of humanity and the planet.

"The core of creating such an organization lies in inclusion and solidarity with our partners in shared development. This is not only crucial for the advancement of AI, but also for the very survival of humanity and the planet," said Iturria.

Dmitry Barovik, a Belarusian AI expert, acknowledged China's leading role in AI development and spoke highly of its openness in sharing experience with the world.

"I think that today China is a global leader in artificial intelligence. China is very, very different and China is very open for the world. It can share all these AI technologies, large language models and computer vision, robotics and so on, for everybody, for all humanity. And this is real evidence of this," he said.

AI support measures announced by Xi warmly welcomed by int'l attendees

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday urged efforts to carry out search and rescue operations in a scientific manner after a landslide struck a county in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, leaving people trapped and missing.

The landslide occurred at 9:08 Friday in Hanjia Sub-district along a section of the Wujiang River in Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, burying several residential buildings at the foot of the mountain. Ten people had been rescued as of 14:00, according to local authorities.

In his instructions, Xi stressed the need for scientific search and rescue operations to prevent secondary disasters, and called for proper medical treatment for the injured and appropriate arrangements for the aftermath. He also urged relevant departments to identify the cause of the disaster, draw lessons from this case and conduct thorough inspections to eliminate geological hazards. Xi emphasized that all regions and relevant departments must further fulfill their safety responsibilities, strengthen monitoring, early warning and risk inspection systems, and ensure that all work is carried out in a concrete and meticulous manner, so as to effectively protect the lives and property of the people.

The Ministry of Natural Resources on Friday raised its geological disaster emergency response to Level II from Level III and dispatched a working team to the site.

A four-tier emergency response system is in place for geological disasters, with Level I being the most severe.

Xi urges scientific search and rescue efforts after Chongqing landslide