(Xi’an, 21 August 2026)

Your Excellency Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the U.N.,
Your Excellency Mr. Zhao Gang, Governor of Shaanxi Province,
Guests and Friends,

It gives me great pleasure to join you in Xi’an, an ancient capital of China. Xi’an is one of the important cradles of Chinese civilization and the Chinese nation. It is also the eastern starting point of the ancient Silk Road. The city bears witness to a glorious history featuring exchange between East and West, mutual learning among civilizations and harmonious coexistence of all. A millennium ago, envoys came and went along the ancient Silk Road, while merchants traveled in an endless stream, which had opened the way to friendly interaction among nations and written a chapter of human progress. A thousand years on, “tokens” have replaced courier stations in connecting every corner of human society, and AI is becoming our partner and assistant in exploring the unknown. Holding the convening on AI and Human Development helps us to draw wisdom from history and explore how to promote AI globally for the positive, for good and for humanity. On behalf of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I extend a warm welcome to Deputy Secretary General Amina and all friends present here, and express our sincere gratitude to the Shaanxi Provincial Government for providing strong support for this convening.

Today, major changes unseen in a century are accelerating across the world, giving rise to challenges as well as hope. A new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is advancing at a faster pace, and the world has entered an unprecedented period of active AI innovation, bringing about profound and complex implications for economic development, social progress and national security. President Xi Jinping proposed building a community with a shared future for humanity and put forward the four major global initiatives and the Global AI Governance Initiative. These initiatives have pointed the way for a collective international response to global challenges, and contributed Chinese wisdom and solutions to answering the challenge posed by AI.

Last month, China held in Shanghai the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance. President Xi Jinping delivered the keynote address at the opening ceremony. He took stock of the 70-year history of AI development, and underscored that every technological revolution has profoundly reshaped our way of work and life, and enabled a giant leap in economic and social development. From the perspective of advancing human civilization and fostering the shared well‑being of all nations, President Xi comprehensively and systematically expounded China’s policy position on AI, and called on all countries to work together to build a just and equitable system for global AI governance.

President Xi’s important address provides crucial guidance for us to identify, understand and grasp the laws governing AI development. It resonates strongly across the international community for its deep philosophical insights and practical relevance. President Xi analyzed the relationship between AI and human development from the perspectives of development, security, civilization and governance, which aligns closely with the purpose of today’s convening. In this connection, I wish to share the following propositions of the Chinese side.

First, we should adhere to the principle of openness and win-win and boost innovation-driven development. President Xi said that “As a new engine of world economic growth and an accelerator for the shift of growth drivers, AI is moving from the digital world into the physical world.” As an invaluable asset that encapsulates humanity’s collective wisdom, AI takes innovation and openness as its inherent and defining feature. To seize the opportunities brought by the new wave of intelligent technology, we must encourage open source, openness, cooperation and sharing, safeguard the resilience and stability of global industrial and supply chains, effectively break resource bottlenecks for all countries, and increase innovation efficiency, so that all sectors and businesses can benefit from AI.

China is fostering new quality productive forces at a faster pace. We are implementing the “AI Plus Initiative,” and giving full play to China’s abundant data resources, complete industrial system, and rich application scenarios. A host of new infrastructure, new technology systems, new industrial ecosystems and new jobs have emerged, with a clear focus on boosting science and technology, industry, consumption and people’s livelihood. China is committed to fully ushering in a smart economy and smart society by 2035, where the fruits of AI development can be shared by all Chinese. We stand ready to share the immense opportunities of Chinese modernization with all countries, and fully unlock the great potential of AI to achieve common development and shared prosperity.

Second, we should strengthen risk-awareness and ensure that AI is secure and controllable. President Xi pointed out that we should take seriously the various types of inherent and secondary risks that AI may trigger and ensure that AI is always under human control. Development and security are like the two wings of a bird; they are mutually reinforcing and neither should be neglected. When security is not guaranteed, there will not be any development. This year, issues of AI safety and security have triggered widespread concerns and worries across the world. Some AI models are said to have the capability to attack critical infrastructure. Countries must face squarely the safety and security risks AI brings, and work hand in hand to consolidate the security bulwark to effectively prevent abuses and malicious use.

China always puts equal emphasis on development and security. From introducing the Interim Measures for the Management of Generative AI Services, to releasing an AI Safety Governance Framework, then to accelerating law-making in the field of AI, we are, keeping abreast of the trends and logic of AI development, continuously improving laws, regulations, policies, mechanisms, application norms, as well as ethical principles to make sure that AI is safe, secure and controllable.

Third, we should encourage inclusiveness and promote mutual learning between civilizations. President Xi stressed that we must shape the values of AI with humanity’s common values, and leverage AI technologies to increase understanding and tolerance among civilizations. AI should not reflect the civilization of one region or the culture of one country only. It should fully respect the sovereignty and cultural diversity of all countries. AI should become a bridge to connect countries with different histories, cultures and social systems and reduce cultural clashes caused by misunderstanding. The city we are in now, Xi’an, was the capital city of China’s Tang Dynasty. It stands as a vivid example of openness, inclusiveness and mutual learning among civilizations.

China is a pioneer of “AI plus culture.” The Dunhuang Digital Library Cave reconstructs the historical scene of the centuries-old Library Cave and over 60,000 invaluable cultural relics stored there discovered a century ago. Powered by AI technology, it turns static cultural relics into interactive, immersive cultural carriers that are open to co-creation. AI technology is being applied to the excavation and restoration of the Terracotta Army of China’s first emperor, and the three-dimensional scanning and intelligent splicing technologies have enabled millimeter-level precision in restoration, bringing traditional heritage back to life. China actively supports countries in AI model R&D based on their own languages. These models have overcome practical difficulties such as the shortage of electronic corpus and differences in language expression, and have excellent performance in comprehending less-commonly used languages, content generation and local adaptability.

Fourth, we should advocate solidarity and improve global governance. President Xi pointed out that we should practice true multilateralism and form a consensus-based global governance framework at an early date, and that we must help other Global South countries with capacity building and prevent creating AI injustice. AI is a test for the effectiveness of the global governance system. We should embrace multilateralism rather than the law of the jungle and thus allow a few countries or companies to monopolize AI resources.

As a responsible major country, China always delivers on its promises. Since President Xi proposed the Global AI Governance Initiative, China has promoted the adoption of the U.N. General Assembly Resolution on Enhancing International Cooperation on Capacity Building of Artificial Intelligence by consensus, published the AI Capacity Building Action Plan for Good and for All, announced the AI Plus International Cooperation Initiative, and established the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, thus providing a steady stream of international public goods.

Distinguished Guests,
Friends,

The United Nations is the most universal, representative and authoritative international organization. The U.N.-centered international system is irreplaceable. China has always supported the U.N. as the main channel for global AI governance. We have been advocating for increasing the representation and voice of developing countries, and establishing universally accepted international rules and coordination mechanisms to ensure inclusive and equal participation, decision-making and benefits. China highly commends the important initiatives and practical measures of Secretary General Guterres to implement the Global Digital Compact and to promote the development of AI for good and for all. The U.N. provides important platforms for countries to build consensus and expand cooperation by holding the Global Dialogue on AI Governance and establishing the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI.

At this convening held at the eastern starting point of the ancient Silk Road, we look forward to your insights on global AI development and governance from a historical, philosophical and practical perspective. We hope you will inspire and learn from each other on how to ensure AI truly benefits humanity.

In closing, I wish this convening every success.