Foreign officials commend China's leadership in AI capacity-building

Foreign officials on Monday praised China's leadership in advancing artificial intelligence capacity-building, which they said helps bridge the global AI divide and promotes equitable, inclusive and universally beneficial development of this cutting-edge technology.

The remarks were made at a workshop held in Beijing from Monday to Saturday, which brought together 37 representatives from 35 developing countries to explore international cooperation in AI capacity building.

At the workshop's opening ceremony, Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu noted that China launched the Global AI Governance Initiative in 2023, contributing Chinese perspectives to global AI governance as the rapid evolution of AI presents both significant opportunities and complex challenges.

"Artificial intelligence is a shared asset of humanity—it should not be the exclusive domain of wealthy nations or individuals. The benefits of the digital era must not give rise to digital hegemony, and the intelligence revolution should not deepen global inequality," Ma emphasized.

He called on countries to jointly create an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for AI development and to help developing nations build their capabilities.

Ma said China is committed to working with all countries to drive continuous innovation in AI and expand its practical applications. He added that China is willing to cooperate with all parties under the United Nations framework to establish widely accepted global governance standards, ensuring the healthy and orderly development of AI.

Chola Milambo, Zambia's permanent representative to the UN, applauded China's leadership in AI development and its readiness to share expertise with developing countries through platforms such as the United Nations and multilateral initiatives like the "Group of Friends on AI Capacity Building" co-launched by Zambia and China in December.

Milambo highlighted Zambia's collaboration with China as a model of effective South-South cooperation and urged other Global South nations to join the effort to build a more inclusive AI future—one in which all countries, regardless of development level, can contribute to and benefit from the digital revolution.

He described China not only as a global AI leader but also as a generous partner, citing its support in areas such as meteorological early warning systems and agricultural innovation as key to narrowing the digital divide.

"China's humility and generosity in sharing this knowledge with other countries is something that will stay with us for a very long time," he added.

In a video speech, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies Amandeep Singh Gill commended China for launching the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All in September, describing it as a timely response to a landmark resolution adopted at the 78th UN General Assembly to boost international AI cooperation.

He said the Group of Friends on AI Capacity Building was a concrete step toward multilateral collaboration and encouraged broader partnerships to help bridge the global AI divide.

John Nusu Nwamanzi, a Kenyan official, noted that AI is reshaping global economic development and that China's initiatives are leading international cooperation in this field.

"We are witnessing many remarkable technological achievements. For example, large language models developed in China are gaining global influence," Nwamanzi said, citing DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, as a prime example.

He said the workshop offered an excellent platform for countries to deepen collaboration and expressed hope to bring back valuable insights in AI research and application to energize his country's science, technology and economy.