World Internet Conference vice-chairman: “Without China, the world’s AI cannot develop”

Claim and context

It has been reported that Francis Gao Rui (弗朗西斯・高锐), vice‑chairman of the World Internet Conference (世界互联网大会), said that the development of global artificial intelligence would be impossible without China. The remark, carried by Chinese outlet ifeng, came during the Conference’s forum discussions where Chinese officials and industry figures argued for continued international cooperation on AI research and deployment. Reportedly, Gao framed China as an indispensable node in the global AI ecosystem.

Why China matters

China supplies scale — huge amounts of user data, a vast developer base, and fast‑growing commercial AI deployments — alongside large pools of engineers and research talent. It is also a major manufacturing hub for sensors, networking gear and many components used in data centers. Can cutting China out of the picture be squared with the current architecture of AI development? That is the crux of Gao’s argument: fragmentation would sacrifice the data, talent and industrial capacity that feed modern machine‑learning systems.

Geopolitical stakes

The comment lands against a backdrop of rising U.S. and allied export controls, sanctions, and heightened scrutiny of technology transfers. Those measures aim to limit China’s access to advanced chips and fabrication equipment — and they complicate the very global supply chains Gao says AI depends on. Critics in the West warn about strategic dependency and national security risks; supporters of engagement warn that technological decoupling could fragment standards, slow research, and increase costs.

Implications

Whether Gao’s prediction proves prescient depends on policy choices. Will governments and companies seek multilateral frameworks to keep research channels open? Or will competition and security concerns push the industry into parallel ecosystems? The outcome will shape not only who leads in AI, but how interoperable and controllable those systems will be.