The new intergovernmental body, headquartered in Shanghai, signals a deepening fracture in how the world's major powers plan to govern artificial intelligence.
Twenty-nine nations signed on to the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO) in Shanghai on July 16, creating a China-led intergovernmental body that aims to set the rules for artificial intelligence governance. Russia, Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, Belarus, and Serbia are among the founding members, alongside ten African and twelve Asian nations.
What WAICO actually is #
The organization traces its origins to a proposal from Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference. That proposal included a 13-point Global AI Governance Action Plan covering AI safety, data standardization, infrastructure development, and sustainable tech deployment.
One year later, WAICO became real. The signing ceremony took place alongside this year’s World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and UN Secretary-General António Guterres in attendance. The headquarters will be permanently housed in Shanghai, cementing China’s position at the center of this new governance structure.
The geopolitical chess game #
The inclusion of Brazil is particularly notable. As the largest economy in Latin America and a BRICS member, Brazil’s participation signals that WAICO isn’t simply a club for authoritarian governments. It’s a genuine attempt to create a parallel governance ecosystem that appeals to non-aligned nations who feel underrepresented in Western-led tech policy conversations.
Why crypto investors should pay attention #
No, WAICO isn’t a crypto story on its surface. There’s no mention of blockchain integration, digital assets, or decentralized finance in the organization’s stated priorities.
China’s existing ban on cryptocurrency trading hasn’t stopped it from aggressively pursuing blockchain technology for state purposes, including its digital yuan infrastructure. If WAICO establishes data standardization protocols or AI infrastructure requirements across its member nations, those standards could shape how AI-crypto hybrid projects operate in nearly thirty countries.
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