China to Enhance Global AI Cooperation

Visitors examine the booth for the smart technologies of Tianjin Port, which boasts one of the world’s pioneering port in zero carbon technologies, during the 2024 World Intelligence Expo opening on April 20. [Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

China stands ready to work with other countries to promote the healthy development of artificial intelligence, facilitate global growth and help improve the well-being of people from all countries, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory message sent to the World Intelligence Expo 2024, which opened on the same day in Tianjin under the theme of “Intelligence: Extensive Development Space, Sustainable Growth Driver”.

Xi said AI is an important force driving the latest round of the science and technology revolution and industrial transformation, and will have a far-reaching influence on the development of the global economy and society, as well as on the progress of human civilization. China attaches great importance to the development of AI, and has actively promoted the in-depth integration of the internet, big data, AI and the real economy, he said.

The country has also worked to cultivate a stronger intelligent sector and grow new quality productive forces at a faster pace to provide new momentum for its high-quality development, Xi said.

China hopes to work with all other countries to seize the opportunities brought by digitalization, networking and smart technologies, and deepen international cooperation on AI development and governance, Xi said.

Chen Min’er, secretary of the Communist Party of China Tianjin Municipal Committee, attended the opening ceremony of the expo and read out the congratulatory message. He emphasized the importance of promoting the development of AI industries, saying that Tianjin will make more efforts to accelerate the integration of AI with other emerging fields and promote the development of digital industrialization and industrial digitalization.

Liu Liehong, head of the National Data Administration, said AI has become a new growth engine for Tianjin to accelerate the formation of new quality productive forces, as the revenue of the city’s AI-related industries exceeded 300 billion yuan ($41.32 billion) in 2023.

“AI has become a strategic emerging industry leading the science and technology revolution and industrial transformation with (positive) spillover effects that drive development, playing a pivotal role in the advancement of the smart industry,” he said. “We need to accelerate the construction of a nationwide integrated computing power network.”