China’s XI encourages AI cooperation and rejects “Cold War mentality” at SCO Summit

Tianjin, China – Chinese national president Xi Jinping on Monday urged members of the Shanghai Cooperation Agency to strengthen artificial intelligence cooperation, rejecting what he called the “cool war spirit.”

Xi had spoken at SCO’s biggest summit so far. More than 20 foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gathered in Tianjin.

The conference comes as China is about to acquire its position as a global peace overseer against the backdrop of sustained trade tensions with the United States, the Russian war in Ukraine and the Israeli-Hama conflict.

Xi said China has invested $84 billion in other SCO countries and pledged to have 10,000 students participate in Beijing’s “Luban” vocational education program. He added that the SCO gathering offers an opportunity to diagrammaticize new stages of high quality development and collaboration.

Prior to his remarks, XI briefly gathered with Modi and Putin during a photo session with all SCO members.

XI is scheduled to meet with President Putin this week, and Russian leaders are scheduled to stay in China for a military parade in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Over the weekend, XI met with at least 10 visiting leaders, including Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. According to official readings, on Saturday he met Modi.

“Stable relations and cooperation between India and China and its 2.8 billion people based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and mutual sensitivity are necessary for the growth and development of both countries,” India’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement after the meeting.

It remains unclear whether the SCO summit will pave the way for a breakthrough in alleviating tensions, but analysts said China with India will help strengthen Beijing’s influence.

“Improved relations with India is a big deal. This gives India access to the very important intellectual property needed to industrialize and promote manufacturing,” said Marko Papic, Chief Strategist at Geomacro Strategy BCA Access, in an email.

“However, for the long term, the US has lost the propaganda battle to portray China as a troublemaker.

Henry Uiyao Wang, founder and president of China and Beijing-based think tank centre for globalization, said China is adopting an “initiative” for economic cooperation and peace. He also pointed to China’s efforts to rebuild relations and said he hopes India and Pakistan do the same.

“President (US) Trump is trying to make a lot of peace, but with the help of China, I think we can do the same thing,” Wang told CNBC’s “The China Connection.”

“China will use its good relations with Russia to support the contracts for the Russian war in Ukraine (brokers),” Wang said, adding that the SCO, or members like China and India, can act as guarantors for security guarantees.

The SCO summit could lead to China building better relations with many countries, Papic said.

According to Chinese national media, the SCO leader has signed the Tianjin Declaration and approved the organization’s development plan for the next decade until 2035. The report said its members adopted 24 documents on strengthening cooperation on security, the economy and “humanity,” but details of the text were not immediately available.

China will also establish a new collaboration platform on energy, green industry and digital economy, and establish a centre for high-tech innovation, higher education and vocational education, XI announced in a session on Monday afternoon.

Later that day, Chinese diplomat Top One Yi said the leader had agreed to launch the SCO Development Bank. He put out the financial institution as yet another multilateral bank. China leads the Asian infrastructure investment bank headquartered in Beijing.

“Global governance must be achieved through coordination and cooperation, not unilateral bullying,” Wang said in Mandarin, according to the official English translation, as he asked about the Global Governance Initiative.

XI’s opening remarks at the Monday afternoon session included a proposal for a “global governance initiative” without revealing details.

This follows similar programs announced by XI over the past few years, such as the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. In late July, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang announced that the country had submitted an AI cooperation organization.

“The Cold War, hegemony and protectionism remain. “Despite the 80 years since the end of World War II, Xi Jin said in Mandarin, according to an official English translation. “The new threats and challenges are only increasing.”

“Global governance has come to a new intersection,” he said.

In the context of calling for the unified application of the rule of international law, the Chinese president said, “House rules in a few countries should not be imposed on other countries.”

– CNBC’s Victoria Yo contributed to this report