Weekly
=== NEWSLETTER Nº 28===
20 July 2026
This edition brings you recent important news, high-level diplomacy, key developments in China, and updates on China-EU relations. Enjoy reading!
President Xi Jinping Attends the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance and Delivers Keynote Address
On the morning of July 17, 2026, President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance at the Grand Halls in Shanghai and delivered the keynote address titled “Joining Hands to Build a Just and Equitable System for Global AI Governance.”
President Xi noted that today, major changes unseen in a century are accelerating across the world. The new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is advancing at a faster pace, and the world has entered an unprecedented period of active innovation on AI technologies. All this carries within it great opportunities as well as challenges to governance. In China’s view, all countries should take a people-centered approach and develop AI for the positive and for good. We should ensure that AI is an important driver for shared prosperity and common security. We should join hands to build a just and equitable system for global AI governance.
Chair’s Statement of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference & High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance
The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference & High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance was held in Shanghai, China from July 17 to 20. At this important moment in history of rapid global AI advancement, the Conference was convened under the theme “AI Partnership for a Brighter Future” and discussed pathways to promote global AI development for good and for all.
The Conference noted that AI is completely reconfiguring economic and social development, and will have a profound impact on the progress of human civilization. Both the opportunities and challenges accompanying AI are growing.
The Conference recognized that AI is a new subject in global governance that requires a new paradigm to be developed through international coordination in the spirit of global solidarity. The Conference stressed the need to strike the right balance between development and security, innovation and governance, and national interests and global well-being, and outlined the principles of people-centered approach, AI for good, fairness and inclusiveness, and collaborative governance.
During the Conference, the signing ceremony of the Agreement on the Establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) was held in Shanghai. WAICO will be the world’s first intergovernmental international organization on AI, with its Headquarters located in Shanghai. Upholding the principle of AI for good and for all, WAICO aims to bridge the AI divide by supporting Global South countries in accelerating AI development, strengthening comprehensive capacity in innovation, application and governance, and keeping pace with scientific and technological revolution.
President Xi Jinping meets with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
On July 17, 2026, President Xi Jinping met with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is to attend the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance.
President Xi noted that this year marks the 55th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China at the UN, China has since been committed to building world peace, contributing to global development, defending international order, and firmly supporting the UN. Currently, the international landscape is marked by more pronounced changes and turbulence, making it all the more necessary to practice true multilateralism and reinvigorate the status and role of the UN. Xi stressed that "the world must never be allowed to return to the law of the jungle".
Guterres commended China for its steadfast support for multilateralism, the cause of the UN, and international cooperation, saying that China has set an example for the world. He said the UN will continue to strengthen cooperation with China, oppose unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemonic bullying, safeguard the UN Charter and international law, as well as advance the process toward a multipolar world.
Signing Ceremony of the Agreement on the Establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization Held in Shanghai
On July 16, 2026, the signing ceremony of the Agreement on the Establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization was held in Shanghai. Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the ceremony and signed the agreement on behalf of the Chinese government.
The Agreement specifies that the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization is an independent intergovernmental international organization that follows the purposes of the UN Charter, upholds the vision of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and adheres to the people-centered principle. It aims to promote international cooperation and global governance on artificial intelligence and ensure the healthy, orderly development of artificial intelligence in a beneficial, safe and fair direction for the benefit of all humanity. The Organization is headquartered in Shanghai, China.
Representatives of 29 countries signed the agreement, with these countries becoming founding members of the Organization. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and representatives of other countries and international organizations attended the ceremony.
Chinese Mission to the EU and Europe Jacques Delors Jointly Hold the Seminar on China-EU Cooperation on Green Transition
On July 13, 2026, the Mission of China to the European Union and Europe Jacques Delors jointly held the Seminar on China-EU Cooperation on Green Transition. Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Ambassador Cai Run, Head of the Mission of China to the EU, Pascal Lamy, former Director-General of the World Trade Organization, and Geneviève Pons, President of Europe Jacques Delors, attended and addressed the event. Under the theme of “A Sustainable and Just Transition to a Zero-Carbon Economy: EU-China Cooperation and Innovation in Maritime Transport,” the seminar focused on in-depth discussions on advancing China-EU green transition cooperation. More than 100 participants were present, including representatives from political, business, and academic communities in China and Europe, diplomats from relevant countries, and attendees from Chinese and European media outlets.
In his remarks, Ambassador Cai Run noted that this year marks the beginning of the second 50 years of China-EU relations. He said that China stands ready to work with the EU to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of both sides and promote the sound and steady development of the China-EU relationship. He also delivered China’s willingness to further deepen and expand cooperation with the EU in such areas as low-carbon transition, the circular economy, and green shipping. Together, the two sides can leverage respective strengths and achieve mutual benefit at a higher level, thus making positive contributions to addressing global challenges, including climate change.
Ms. Ribera spoke highly of China’s achievements in green development, noting that both China and the EU attach importance to the low-carbon transition of maritime transport and should work together to improve multilateral governance and promote global green development. Mr. Lamy said that under the current international circumstances, strengthening EU-China cooperation in the fields of environment and climate is both an inevitable choice and a practical necessity that bears on the well-being of all humanity.
At the seminar, Chinese and European representatives, including Yue Guoyong, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation of the Chinese Ministry of Transport, expressed the hope that China and the EU would expand areas of converging interests and strengthen cooperation in fields such as the low-carbon transition of maritime transport.
China’s Expanding Imports Strengthen Trade Ties with the EU
China’s total goods trade hit 25.47 trillion yuan in H1 2026, up 16.9% year-on-year (the first half-year above 25 trillion). Imports were the highlight, reaching 10.74 trillion yuan, a 22.1% surge that outpaced overall trade by 5.2 percentage points. The import mix improved, with steady gains in energy, farm produce, and chips, while consumer goods imports accelerated notably.
Specifically, China’s imports from the EU reached $135.6 billion (up 9%), underscoring resilient domestic demand. Beijing’s pro-import policies, including tariff cuts and customs facilitation, continue to broaden market access for high-quality European goods and services.
China's Economy Keeps Moving Forward Amid Global Headwinds
Amid mounting uncertainty in the global economy stemming from geopolitical tensions, trade frictions and slowing growth, the train of the Chinese economy has kept moving forward and upgrading along the way, reinforcing its role as a key anchor of stability for the global economy.
The world's second-largest economy has operated within an appropriate range, and the fundamentals of economic operation remain unchanged. Wednesday's official data showed China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.7 percent year on year in the first half of 2026 (H1). The figures also pointed to solid foreign trade performance, expanding new growth drivers and continued economic resilience.
The International Monetary Fund, meanwhile, recently lowered its forecast for global economic growth this year to 3 percent, while raising its projection for China's full-year growth by 0.2 percentage points to 4.6 percent, making China one of the few major economies to receive an upward revision.
Challenges facing the global economy are unlikely to disappear anytime soon. Yet China's commitment to high-quality development, technological innovation and high-standard opening-up provides a solid foundation for sustainable growth.
As these strengths continue to unfold, China will remain an important contributor to global economic stability and a reliable partner in promoting shared prosperity.
On Trade Issues
Beijing Youth Daily: We noted that the Financial Times citing the latest study wrote that Europe and the U.S. would need to invest an extra US$23.6 trillion over the next 25 years to end their reliance on China in critical industries by 2050 and that it’s impossible to replicate the industrial and supply chains in the short run. What’s your view?
Lin Jian: The argument you mentioned actually reflects how deeply interconnected and mutually complementary the global industrial and supply chains are and that we all belong to one community with common stakes. Decoupling, protectionist barriers, and forcibly reengineering industrial and supply chains is not only expensive, but also against both market rules and the choice of businesses. Eventually it will cost everyone more and deliver less.
True sense of security comes from cooperation, not isolation. Keeping the global supply chain safe, stable and unimpeded is the shared responsibility of all countries. China remains committed to high-standard opening up, and will continue to provide quality products and cooperation opportunities for the whole world with its mega-sized market and complete industrial system. We stand ready to work with other countries to resist the logic of bloc confrontation, make the global supply chain win-win, and provide steady impetus for common development of the world.
On South China Sea Arbitration Award
Q: On 11 July, the EU released a statement to mark the 10th anniversary of the so-called “South China Sea Arbitration Award,” claiming that the “award” must be respected and fully implemented by the parties involved, and that it is of critical importance to uphold the freedoms, rights and duties set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in particular the freedom of navigation and overflight. What’s China’s comment on this?
Spokesperson of the Chinese Mission to the EU: The EU is not a party to the South China Sea issue. The EU’s statement disregards the historical context and objective facts surrounding the South China Sea issue, violates the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, and is not conducive to peace and stability in the region.
China has repeatedly stated that the so-called “South China Sea Arbitration Award” is illegal, null and void, and non-binding. China neither accepts nor recognizes the “award,” and does not accept any claim or action based on it.
Formulating a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) is part and parcel of implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). China and ASEAN countries all agreed to this. China is committed to working with ASEAN countries to accelerate the COC consultations for its early conclusion and keep the South China Sea peaceful and stable. The “award” has absolutely no relevance to the COC.
China and Europe have different approaches to artificial intelligence, but they share a common objective, which includes building technological capacity, strengthening competitiveness, and securing a place in the economy of the future. We need multilateral and bilateral frameworks where we can exchange views, improve mutual understanding, reduce risks and manage competition. This is what we should continue to do between the European Union and China.
——Charles Michel, former president of the European Council and now distinguished professor at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)
China steps up AI talent development
🔹China is expanding its AI talent pool:
- Over 600 universities now offer AI-related majors.
- AI research workforce has grown at an average annual rate of 28.7% over the past decade.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of China, except those from the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Chinese Mission to the EU and other Chinese governmental websites.
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Editor: SUN Jiachen
