China has urged Indonesia to provide strong support for the newly established World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) as Beijing and Washington compete for influence over the future of artificial intelligence and global technology governance, Indonesian media reported Saturday.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the call during talks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono in Jakarta, saying the two countries should expand existing cooperation into emerging areas such as AI and help ensure the success of WAICO, according to Jakarta Globe.
The comments came as Wang and Chinese Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun are in Indonesia for high-level diplomatic and security talks.
Wang and Sugiono held the first China-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue on Friday, while Wang and Dong joined their Indonesian counterparts for the second 2+2 foreign and defense ministers' dialogue.
Twenty-nine countries, including Indonesia, signed an agreement in Shanghai last month to establish WAICO, an intergovernmental organization aimed at promoting international cooperation and global AI governance.
Indonesia has maintained a non-aligned "free and active" foreign policy while seeking closer economic and technological ties with both China and the United States.
On Wednesday, China said that countries have the right to independently choose their partners and artificial intelligence models based on their national conditions and development needs, while opposing what it called "bloc confrontation" in the sector.
Responding to a question about reports that the US government plans to send a letter to countries that signed the US "AI Opportunity Statement," warning them against joining initiatives whose requirements Washington considers incompatible with its own, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Beijing "firmly opposes forcing countries to take sides or creating bloc confrontation on AI."
