China-proposed AI cooperation organization marks concrete action in global AI governance: industry insiders

The establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) represents a concrete step forward in advancing global AI cooperation and governance, according to industry insiders.

Ahead of the 2026 World AI Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance that opened in Shanghai on Friday, twenty-nine countries on Thursday signed an agreement in Shanghai on establishing WAICO.

WAICO will be an independent intergovernmental international organization headquartered in Shanghai. It aims to promote international cooperation and global governance on AI, ensuring that AI is beneficial, safe and fair, thereby promoting its healthy and orderly development to benefit all humanity, according to the agreement.

Officials and leading experts have welcomed the initiative as a pivotal move that transforms AI governance from conception into concrete action.

"Since 2021, UNESCO has the ethics of AI recommendation. But we need to move from principles to implementation. This organization will focus more on building capacities -- as President Xi has announced, 5,000 technical places for AI capacity building -- and also realization that AI is so important for all member states. And there is a need for a concerted action. So we see this as a very welcome development. Leaving no one behind," said Shahbaz Khan, director and representative of the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia.

"AI governance needs to turn consensus into action. I think in action, it would be very hard for 193 countries to move at the same time. We need some countries to move forward with tangible action. So I think this WAICO can really play a critical role. At the same time, we should not just focus on technical capabilities, but also governing capabilities, providing a mechanism for people to exchange ideas, to generate innovation in governance itself," said Xue Lan, dean of Schwarzman College of the Tsinghua University of China.

At WAIC, Chinese tech companies are showcasing a wide range of practical innovations grounded in a governance-first mindset, aiming to steer AI development toward an inclusive, responsible, and sustainable future.

"On the basis of AI, we are hoping to bring the benefits of AI into everyone's daily life. Based on our own service ecosystem and payment capabilities, we are also turning applications into real-world scenarios. Now our system is already running smoothly at Guoda drugstores in Shanghai. In the future, we hope to expand into more industries and empower people's everyday lives," said Xu Bo, a staff member of the Ant Group.

"This year, we have many 'vibe coding' creators and developers on our platform. We visited them and experienced their working and living environments. We also organized visits to embodied intelligence factories, where they took part in some hands-on experiences. They were truly amazed at the changes happening in China today and the speed at which China is moving," said San Bing, Head of Operations for Tech Community at RedNote.

China's commitment to well-governed AI is also reshaping priorities among professionals at the forefront of the industry.

"With globalization, great technology isn't enough. We need systems of governance that can adapt to different cultures while maintaining a core principle of user safety," said Xue Yafei, an expert on government relations.

"We don't just look at the tech anymore. We look at the governance behind it. A company with a strong ethical framework is a more suitable and valuable investment," said Li Jiangeng, a corporate investor.

China-proposed AI cooperation organization marks concrete action in global AI governance: industry insiders

The Port of Durban, a critical trade artery for South Africa and the region, has gained new impetus for development, thanks to BRICS-backed financing. The port handles more cargo than any other port in Africa. But years of aging infrastructure and logistics bottlenecks have weighed on its performance. Now, hundreds of millions of dollars in government and international financing are helping transform the port.

The New Development Bank has been among the international financiers supporting modernization efforts by the port operator first, granting a 260-million-dollar loan back in 2018.

"We are fixing the actual infrastructure that we have. Also, the investment in the jib cranes that are actually going to come is part of our activities to fix the actual dock. The second pillar of that -- it is to transform the business. So part of transforming the business is what we are doing to procure the central lift that is actually going to repair our own vessels," said Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana, manager of the port.

The port is now preparing for increased container traffic as the African Continental Free Trade Area takes shape.

"We are positioning ourselves to be able to actually ensure that we are able to bring in bigger vessels, but also importantly, improvement in efficiencies in the work that we do, pricing our docks adequately," said the manager.

But a modern port also needs a functioning feeder network.

In 2024, the New Development Bank announced a further 300-million-dollar facility to support revival of Transnet's freight rail system.

The network was badly affected by vandalism, theft and operational failures, restricting the flow of goods to the ports and weighing on economic growth.

"If you look at our lack of growth, it has been on the supply side. First it was electricity which took us for more than a decade to get it right, almost 16 years. Now we've got a similar problem in logistics, which we need to sort, because if the logistics front is not working, where we do not even benefit from commodity booms," said South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana.

Transnet's Reinvent for Growth Strategy aims to rebuild infrastructure and improve efficiency. The goal is to get goods moving faster, from mines and farms to the port, and into international markets.

"If we don't fix it, we will have a system that is again continuing to deteriorate. And we can't have that because when you have a deteriorating system, as I've said, you have derailments, you have all sorts of incidents on the line. The trains are not moving fast enough. If that happens, it means the pace at which goods are moving to and from the port is slower," said Michelle Phillips, CEO of Transnet.

Rebuilding South Africa's port and rail network is not just about resilient infrastructure. It is about making the country more competitive and cementing Durban's position as a gateway between Africa and the wider BRICS trading cooperation.

BRICS-backed financing helps transform South Africa's Port of Durban