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China's Xi pushes AI and 'Global South' opportunity amid US trade war
BEIJING, April 29 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping used a visit to Shanghai on Tuesday to push for breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and underscore China’s leading role in the "Global South". Although Xi did not reference the trade war started by U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit, the implicit message was clear: China can develop its own leading technology and has alternative markets.
"It's a show of strength," said Alfred Wu, a China expert at National University of Singapore.
Xi's Shanghai trip, his first to China's main international financial hub since November 2023, comes at a time when the tariff fight with the U.S. has raised the stakes for global economic growth, and as Beijing pursues AI development in the wake of the global success of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek.
On Tuesday, he urged Shanghai to accelerate efforts to turn itself into a technological and innovation hub with global influence and strive to be at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) development and governance, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Xi also urged the city to expand its exploration of AI models and said more supportive policies for the technology should be rolled out, as he visited an incubation lab for AI startups and tried on a set of smart glasses.
In addition, the Chinese president visited the Shanghai-based New Development Bank, a multilateral lender of BRICS member nations, and met its president, former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Xinhua said.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com
