Russia, Brazil, and Cuba with Beijing: the WAICO outside the AI Act

On July 16, twenty-nine countries signed an agreement to establish the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO), an intergovernmental body based in Shanghai that, in Beijing's words, aims to promote international cooperation and global governance of artificial intelligence. Signing for China was Foreign Minister Wang Yi; the UN Secretary-General António Guterres was present at the ceremony.

The WAICO had been proposed by China at last year's conference, but until now, no country had formally announced its adherence. The signing comes on the eve of the World AI Conference 2026 in Shanghai, which Xi Jinping will personally open for the first time, with a speech in which he is expected to outline the Chinese vision for global AI governance.

Among the founding members are Russia, Belarus, Serbia, Cuba, Brazil, and Venezuela, along with ten African countries and twelve Asian ones.

Competing Visions

The signing comes amid a broader confrontation between China and the United States regarding artificial intelligence. In a UN dialogue last week, Washington argued that heavy regulation would stifle innovation, while Beijing presented its low-cost, open-source models as a public good capable of reducing global inequalities in access to AI.

Few major American tech companies are seen at the Shanghai conference. Meanwhile, the two governments are preparing for the first official talks on AI under the presidency of Donald Trump. Analysts describe the WAICO as an organization designed for developing countries, outside of Western frameworks like the European AI Act and the G7 process.

"China is gaining ground with Southeast Asian countries in terms of AI skill development," an Asian diplomat stated. Beijing, he added, "positions itself as a spokesperson for developing countries left behind in the AI race."

A high-level meeting on global AI governance, linked to the conference, will also review the progress of the WAICO.