China playing "constructive" role in advancing global AI collaboration, governance: scholar

China is playing a key and constructive role in fostering global collaboration on the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and the governance of digital technology, according to a New York-based scholar, who said the country is giving a "voice" to the developing world.

As one of the global leaders in the development of AI, China has drawn particular attention to the need for better global governance of this fast-evolving technology and in July, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a China-led resolution on international cooperation involving AI development.

Titled 'enhancing international cooperation on capacity-building of artificial intelligence', the resolution called for adhering to principles that are people-centered, promote the greater good and benefit humanity as a whole. It also urged concrete actions to help all countries, especially developing nations, to enhance their AI capabilities.

Its adoption came shortly UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed the 'Global Digital Compact', a comprehensive framework for global governance of digital technology and AI, with an aim to mitigate the risks of digital technologies.

Giving his assessment on the importance of managing the development of such new technologies, Waheguru Sidhu, a senior fellow at New York University's Center on International Cooperation, said these the global consensus which has been reached on AI governance highlights China's pivotal role in driving international AI collaboration.

"China is certainly making a concerted effort to emerge as a voice of the developing world, but also as an alternative, if you like, to the Western narrative on all things related to the Global Digital Compact or 'digital', which has become the catchphrase for all the new developments, including artificial intelligence, cyber, quantum, etc. And I think it's fair to say that if you look at the Global Digital Compact, China's role has been quite constructive," said Sidhu.

In a speech at the G20 Summit in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that international governance and cooperation on AI should be strengthened, to make sure that AI is used for good and for all, and noted that China will hold another world AI conference in 2025.

China playing "constructive" role in advancing global AI collaboration, governance: scholar

The Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport -- a pivotal airport in central China's Henan Province -- saw its cargo throughput surge to 800,000 tons in 2024, a record high since the airport was opened in 1997 following reconstruction on the basis of the Zhengzhou Dongjiao Airport.

Leveraging the Zhengzhou-Luxembourg "Air Silk Road" project, Zhengzhou is actively building itself into an international aviation hub. Currently, the Xinzheng International Airport has made great improvements in network coverage, service guarantee, and transfer efficiency.

Presently, 29 cargo airlines are operated in Zhengzhou, running a total of 57 cargo routes. Those air routes have formed a hub network across the three major economies of Europe, America and Asia, covering major economies in the world. As of Dec 20, the cargo volume of Luxembourg cargo flights handled in Zhengzhou this year reached 136,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 38.8 percent.

"We will keep enhancing our hard power of cargo guarantee and our soft power of operation service, and will continue to strengthen cooperation with freight forwarders, cross-border e-commerce platforms and other enterprises. We will also improve the efficiency of cargo collection and distribution through air-to-air transfer and combined transport of air and high-speed railway," said Zhang Mingchao, Party secretary of Zhongyu Aviation Group, an airline in Zhengzhou.

Pivotal airport in central China sees cargo throughput surge to record high