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Central Asia courts Beijing on AI ties as WAICO takes shape

Ahead of the July 16 AI conference, officials from 29 countries signed an agreement to create WAICO, headquartered in Shanghai, with Kazakhstan planning to host the first annual meeting in Astana.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Energy Transition

Central Asian governments are leaning toward Beijing as competition between the United States and China for leadership in artificial intelligence intensifies, according to OilPrice. Top officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan met in Shanghai for the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping outlined Beijing’s vision for global AI influence.

Before the conference on July 16, officials from 29 countries, including the four Central Asian states, signed an agreement to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, or WAICO. WAICO is headquartered in Shanghai and was set up to help advance Beijing’s AI ambitions, the outlet said.

OilPrice reports that Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev praised China’s AI leadership during the event, pointing to the size of China’s AI research community, AI-related patents, and innovation momentum. Tokayev also offered to host WAICO’s first annual meeting in Astana and to open WAICO’s Central Asian office in Kazakhstan’s capital.

After Tokayev’s meetings with Xi and Chinese executives, the outlet said more than 70 deals were discussed or advanced, with total value exceeding $15 billion. The report ties the growing AI partnership to broader cooperation momentum between China and the region.

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