China to Offer 5,000 AI Training Opportunities to Developing Nations, Challenging US Dominance?
China will provide 5,000 artificial intelligence (AI) training and seminar opportunities for developing countries over the next five years. The commitment was announced by President Xi Jinping during his keynote address at the opening of the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai on Friday (17/7/2026). The training programme is part of Beijing’s efforts to expand international cooperation in technology whilst helping developing countries build human resource capacity in the utilisation and governance of AI. Xi stressed the importance of global cooperation to ensure that the development of artificial intelligence delivers broader benefits and is not dominated solely by developed nations or large technology corporations.
The announcement of 5,000 AI training opportunities for developing countries carries a message that goes beyond mere capacity building. Beijing is signalling its ambition to become a new leader in global AI governance and dissemination, offering an alternative to the dominance of the United States, which has long led the AI industry. In recent years, the rivalry between China and the US has shifted beyond trade wars and semiconductor markets into a battle for mastery of strategic technologies such as artificial intelligence. Washington relies on tech giants like OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Meta, and Microsoft, whilst Beijing is pushing domestic firms such as Huawei, DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, Biren, and MetaX to build an AI ecosystem independent of American technology.
Against this backdrop, AI training for developing nations becomes a diplomatic instrument of strategic value. By sharing knowledge, experience, and access to AI technology, China hopes that more countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the wider Global South will adopt the standards, infrastructure, and digital ecosystems developed by Beijing. This approach differs from competition focused solely on product sales; China is seeking to build long-term relationships through capacity transfer and institutional cooperation.