China calls for deeper AI collaboration at 2025 SCO Summit
Ambassador Xu Feihong announces grants, loans, scholarships, and training as President Xi Jinping urges stronger cooperation in AI, energy, and digital economy.
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Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong on Monday unveiled a series of initiatives that Beijing will roll out for the benefit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states.
“Going forward, China plans to implement 100 ‘small and beautiful’ livelihood projects in member states that require them. It will provide RMB 2 billion yuan in grants to SCO member states within this year, and will issue an additional RMB 10 billion yuan in loans to the member banks of the SCO Interbank Consortium over the next three years,” Xu posted on X.
He further said that starting next year, China would double the number of SCO-specific scholarships and introduce an SCO Innovative PhD programme to jointly nurture high-caliber talent in academics, science, and technology.
Looking ahead, Xu added, “In the next five years, China will establish 10 Luban Workshops in SCO member states and provide 10,000 human resources training opportunities.”
The ambassador noted that the SCO Summit had fostered consensus and laid out a development roadmap, aligning with President Xi Jinping’s broader vision of closer cooperation.
At the summit, President Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan hosted a banquet for global dignitaries. Xi emphasized that the SCO had become a significant force in promoting new models of international relations and advancing the idea of a community with a shared future for humanity, according to DD News. He said the summit was designed to strengthen unity, enhance cooperation, and set the agenda for growth.
India, along with other SCO members, reaffirmed its commitment to deepen cooperation in Artificial Intelligence (AI), reflecting its importance in shaping economies and societies.
The Tianjin Declaration, adopted at the 2025 Council of Heads of State, underscored the collective commitment to AI. It built upon the UN General Assembly Resolution on AI capacity building and reiterated that all nations have equal rights to develop and utilize AI.
Member states, including India, agreed to collaborate on minimizing risks while enhancing security, accountability, transparency, inclusiveness, and fairness in AI technologies. They also backed the Roadmap for implementing the SCO Member States’ Cooperation Programme on AI Development (adopted in Chengdu, June 12, 2025).
In his keynote address, Xi urged deeper cooperation in areas such as energy, infrastructure, the digital economy, science and technology, and artificial intelligence.
The summit also attracted attention with the deployment of a humanoid AI robot named Xiao, which assisted delegates and media professionals. With advanced features and a human-like design, Xiao became a highlight of the event.
