Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends the signing ceremony and signs the agreement on establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) on behalf of the Chinese government in Shanghai, east China, July 16, 2026. (Photo/Xinhua)

Shanghai - Twenty-nine countries on Thursday signed an agreement in Shanghai on establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO).

The WAICO will be an independent intergovernmental international organization headquartered in Shanghai, according to the agreement.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, signed the agreement on behalf of the Chinese government.

Representatives from the 29 countries, including Kazakhstan, Laos, Pakistan, Russia and Indonesia, signed the agreement, making their countries the WAICO's founding members. The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was among representatives from countries and international organizations present at the signing ceremony.

The organization will uphold the purposes of the UN Charter, be committed to extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit and adhere to a people-centered approach, according to the agreement.

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.