Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Saturday urged the international community to build a global consensus on artificial intelligence (AI) governance, highlighting security risks amid the raging tech race between Beijing and Washington.

Speaking at the opening of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Li said it is prudent to look at "how to find a balance between development and security [which] urgently requires further consensus from the entire society."

Li also announced the creation of a Chinese-led body to promote global AI cooperation and open-source development to keep AI from becoming "the preserve of a few countries and a few enterprises."

What is the tech rivalry between the US and China?

The three-day WAIC event comes amid intensifying US-China competition in advanced AI technology.

Just days before, US President Donald Trump announced the slashing of AI regulations to maintain the US' dominance in the field even as Washington continues to restrict exports of high-end chips to China, citing national security concerns.

These restrictions are forcing Chinese companies to look for alternatives, with startup DeepSeek introducing an AI model in January that matched the performance of leading US systems, despite working on less advanced chips.

Li, without naming the US, criticized monopolistic control and called for open access to AI technologies, warning of insufficient supply of AI chips and restrictions on talent exchange otherwise.

"Only by adhering to openness, sharing and fairness in access to intelligence can more countries and groups benefit from (AI)," he said.

'AI a test of international cooperation' 

At the WAIC opening ceremony, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a video message that AI regulation would be "a defining test of international cooperation."

More than 800 companies are participating in this year's WAIC, showcasing over 3,000 tech innovations.

While Chinese firms like Huawei and Alibaba are the main entrants, international firms including US-based companies Tesla, Alphabet, and Amazon are also present.

Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah