Amid intensifying technological competition between the United States and China, China kicked off the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) on July 17 (local time), showcasing its latest achievements in artificial intelligence and humanoid robotics.

Starting with the opening ceremony, China is hosting the 2026 WAIC and the Global AI Governance High-Level Meeting in Shanghai through July 20 under the theme, "AI Partner, Building the Future Together."

According to the organizers, more than 1,100 companies are exhibiting 3,000 products across an event space exceeding 100,000 square meters, with 300 of these being new products unveiled for the first time globally.

China, which views U.S. sanctions on advanced semiconductors as a move to stifle its growth, is emphasizing semiconductor self-reliance. Telecommunications equipment giant Huawei displayed its advanced AI computing supernode system, the "Atlas 950 SuperPod."

This system is designed to connect up to 8,192 neural processing units (NPUs), enabling the training and inference of large language models (LLMs) with trillions of parameters.

Chinese media outlets are hailing this as a new leap forward in the field of ultra-large-scale computing infrastructure.

A wide array of robots, including humanoids, were also prominently featured at the event.

Unitree Robotics announced the exhibition of its mass-produced "transformable robot," the GD01, which it claims is the world's first capable of carrying a human passenger.

Standing 2.7 meters tall and weighing 500 kilograms, the robot can switch between bipedal and quadrupedal movement.

Interactive programs for visitors were also prepared in connection with the so-called "AI Plus" strategy, which aims to integrate and advance AI across various industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, education, elderly care, and entertainment.

During the event, 140 forums will be held, attended by over 1,400 participants, including Turing Award and Nobel Prize laureates.

The WAIC, which began in 2018, marks its 9th anniversary this year.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony today for the first time, delivering a keynote speech that outlined China's policy direction on AI development and global governance.

President Xi stated that AI development should not be dominated by a single country, emphasizing that "AI development should be a symphony through international cooperation, not a solo performance by one nation."

He further remarked, "We must collectively oppose the excessive expansion of the concept of national security in the AI field," adding that "a global AI governance system based on consensus must be established as soon as possible."

In particular, he mentioned the agreement to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), signed by 29 countries including China, stating that the creation of WAICO would be a milestone in the history of global AI development.

In its 15th Five-Year Plan, which outlines economic and social development goals for 2026–2030, China has emphasized scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening.

Accordingly, the country plans to accelerate self-reliance in cutting-edge technologies such as AI and humanoids over the next five years to drive the development of "new quality productive forces."

Specifically, the Chinese government has set a target to increase the value-added share of core digital economy industries to 12.5 percent of its total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030.

It also projected that the scale of China's AI-related industries will reach 10 trillion yuan (approximately 2,000 trillion won) by 2030.

(Photo: Yonhap News)