China and South Africa deepen AI cooperation as Global South seeks greater control of future technology
SHANGHAI, CHINA: The relationship between China and South Africa is moving into a new technological era, with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as an important area of cooperation between the two countries and the wider Global South.
The call for deeper cooperation was highlighted in Shanghai by Li Xiuquan, Director of the Key Science and Technology Fields Research Center at the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, who said international collaboration could help developing countries strengthen their AI capabilities.
Speaking at the High-Level Conference on International Cooperation in Open Science, Li pointed to open-source technologies, shared datasets and international capacity-building as ways of making AI resources more accessible to developing countries.
The discussions come at an important time for South Africa. Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Professor Blade Nzimande has been leading South African engagement with China on science, technology and innovation, including AI.
South Africa was also among the founding members of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), launched during the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai.
What does AI cooperation actually mean?
AI cooperation is about much more than importing AI software or using chatbots.
It can involve countries working together on research, skills development, computing infrastructure, datasets, AI applications, scientific exchanges, cybersecurity, ethical standards and regulations.
For developing countries, this is significant because access to advanced AI depends not only on having the technology, but also on having people who can develop, adapt and govern it.
Li said China had already undertaken South-South exchanges involving Chinese researchers, United Nations institutions and partner countries, including programmes under the Belt and Road Initiative aimed at strengthening AI capacity.
China has also highlighted the importance of open-source AI. According to Li, Chinese research teams are making some AI models available through open-source approaches, while approximately 30,000 datasets have been made publicly available for use by AI institutions and government agencies.
For African countries, access to such resources could create opportunities to develop AI applications suited to local needs rather than relying exclusively on technologies designed elsewhere.
South Africa wants the Global South to become a technology owner
The cooperation also comes against a broader South African position that developing countries should not remain merely consumers of advanced technology.
Addressing the Pujiang Innovation Forum in Shanghai, Nzimande said countries of the Global South should become “producers and owners of emerging technologies”, including AI, quantum technologies, biotechnology, space science and advanced materials.
This is an important distinction.
If AI cooperation only means purchasing foreign technology, much of the economic value remains outside the country using it.
But if cooperation results in South African researchers, universities, businesses and young innovators participating in the development of AI systems, the country could potentially build new skills, intellectual property and technology businesses.
That could also open opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs to develop AI-powered services for agriculture, education, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, media, government services and other sectors.
Skills could become one of the biggest benefits
One of the most immediate areas of potential cooperation is human capacity.
China has pledged to provide developing countries with 5,000 AI training and seminar opportunities over five years, while also proposing international AI application cooperation centres involving organisations and groupings including the African Union and BRICS.
For South Africa, such programmes could create opportunities for students, researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs and public-sector officials to gain practical experience in rapidly developing technologies.
The challenge will be ensuring that these opportunities reach beyond major technology centres and established institutions.
If AI skills are to contribute meaningfully to economic development, young people and businesses in provinces such as Mpumalanga, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and other regions will also need opportunities to participate.
Agriculture, mining and local businesses could benefit
AI cooperation could have practical consequences for sectors that are central to the South African economy.
In agriculture, AI can assist with analysing weather information, monitoring crops, identifying plant diseases and improving production planning.
In mining, AI can be used for data analysis, equipment monitoring, automation and safety-related applications.
For small businesses, AI can support customer communication, translation, marketing, accounting, research and digital content production.
Scientific research could also benefit significantly.
Li said scientific research was one area where AI could make a substantial contribution because the technology can process complex and multidimensional information.
For South Africa, the opportunity therefore extends beyond the technology sector itself.
AI governance will be just as important as AI development
The rapid expansion of AI is also raising questions about privacy, cybersecurity, misinformation, employment, intellectual property, safety and accountability.
China’s position, as presented in Shanghai, is that technological development must be accompanied by safeguards.
Li said: “Security and development must advance in tandem.”
China has pointed to governance rules, responsible-AI principles, ethical guidelines and regulations governing generative AI as part of its approach.
At the international level, China has also called for greater participation by developing countries in shaping global AI governance.
This matters for Africa because rules developed without African participation may not always reflect the continent’s development priorities, languages, economic realities or social conditions.
The 2025–2027 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan already identifies AI, cybersecurity, data security, cross-border data flows, privacy protection and AI capacity-building as areas for China-Africa cooperation.
A new opportunity, but also a responsibility
The emerging China-Africa AI relationship does not mean that every technological challenge has been solved.
Questions around data ownership, privacy, cybersecurity, intellectual property, standards, affordability and responsible use will remain important.
The central issue going forward will be whether cooperation produces local capacity and ownership, rather than simply increasing dependence on external technology.
That is why South Africa’s emphasis on becoming a producer and owner of emerging technologies is significant.
The country’s participation in WAICO and its bilateral science and technology engagement with China provide platforms through which South African institutions can participate in international discussions about the future of AI.
What happens next?
The next phase is likely to focus increasingly on turning broad commitments into practical programmes.
These could include joint research projects, training programmes, university and scientific exchanges, AI innovation centres, shared research resources, technology demonstrations and cooperation on international standards.
China has already indicated that it wants to establish international AI application cooperation centres with the African Union and other regional organisations.
For South Africa, the opportunity will be to ensure that cooperation translates into measurable outcomes: more skilled young people, stronger universities and research institutions, locally developed AI solutions, new businesses and greater participation by African countries in global technology decision-making.
The AI race is therefore not simply about which country develops the most powerful machines.
For the Global South, it is increasingly about who gets to develop the technology, own the knowledge, shape the rules and benefit economically from the AI-driven future.
As Li put it, international stakeholders need to work together to guide AI’s development.
For South Africa and Africa, the coming years could determine whether AI becomes another technology imported from elsewhere — or a platform through which African researchers, entrepreneurs and communities help shape the next generation of global innovation.
Keywords: China South Africa AI cooperation, artificial intelligence Africa, China Africa technology cooperation, Global South AI, AI governance, WAICO, South Africa artificial intelligence, China AI, AI skills development, African technology, BRICS AI, open-source AI
This story was first published in SANews