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China’s Xi Jinping addresses World AI Conference as US tech rivalry heats up
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
Published: 10:01am, 17 Jul 2026
Updated: 10:27am, 17 Jul 2026
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Introduction
President Xi Jinping will speak 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 elevates the conference’s profile, and indicates 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 is accelerating its drive for tech self-reliance
More from our coverage:
– From humanoids to Huawei: what to watch as Xi attends China’s WAIC amid US AI rivalry
– 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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