More than 40 countries and international organizations, including ASEAN and the African Union, gathered at Tsinghua University in Beijing on May 12 for the Second AI Capacity Building Workshop. This event, hosted by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, marks a key moment in global AI cooperation.
China’s vice foreign minister, Ma Zhaoxu, opened the workshop by highlighting Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Global AI Governance Initiative as a guiding framework for shared innovation, fairness and inclusiveness. He urged participants to view AI as an international public good that serves all humanity and to uphold a shared future for mankind.
Ma outlined China’s recent efforts, from launching the Universal AI Capacity Building Program to forming the Group of Friends of AI Capacity Building, as practical steps under UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/78/311. The resolution, adopted unanimously in July 2024, calls for policy exchange, technical support, financial assistance and joint research to strengthen international AI cooperation.
In a video address, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies Amandeep Singh Gill praised the China-promoted UN resolution and expressed hope that the workshop would deepen global AI governance and partnerships. Zambia’s UN representative Chola Milambo, co-chair of the Group of Friends, underscored the workshop’s role in boosting AI capacity in the Global South and advancing the Global Digital Compact.
Following the first workshop held in Shanghai in September 2024, this week’s sessions will feature panels on emerging tech, skills training and collaborative research. As AI reshapes economies and societies, the Beijing gathering aims to deliver real-world impact through open dialogue and shared expertise.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
