Technology

Embracing the AI Era for a Win-Win Future of Memory Industry: The GMIF2024 Innovation Summit Successfully Held in Shenzhen

Published

2 years ago

September 30, 2024

SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — In the golden glow of autumn, Shenzhen brings all together to convene a grand celebration. On September 27, the Third GMIF2024 Innovation Summit (Global Memory Innovation Forum) has been successfully concluded in Shenzhen. The event was hosted by the Semiconductor Investment Alliance and the Shenzhen Memory Industry Association, co-organized by the Guangdong Integrated Circuit Industry Association and the Shenzhen Semiconductor Industry Association, and organized by JW Insights Consulting (Xiamen) Co., Ltd. and Haitong Securities Co., Ltd.

With the theme of “AI Leads Memory’s New Momentum”, this year’s summit has brought together leading enterprises from various segments of the memory industry chain, including major wafer manufacturers, memory controller suppliers, module producers, packaging and testing enterprises, equipment and materials manufacturers, and terminal manufacturers, as well as representatives from investment institutions. The event centered around all aspects of key topics such as product innovation, technological evolution, and the collaborative development of the industrial chain, all with the aim of advancing industry cooperation and creating a shared future of success.

Accelerating Deployment of AI Applications to Unlock New Growth in the Storage Industry

The explosive growth of AI in the new era is reshaping the global semiconductor landscape. The widespread application of AI is driving demand for high-performance, high-computing-power chips, while also creating significant growth opportunities for high-bandwidth, large-capacity, and low-power storage chips.

The GMIF2024 Innovation Summit officially kicked off with the welcoming remarks from Mr. Rixin Sun, President of the Shenzhen Memory Industry Association (SMIA). Over the recent years, the exponential growth of AI, 5G, Big Data and Internet has seen a brand-new revolutionizing period in global storage industry. Mr. Sun addressed that the GMIF2024 Innovation Summit turns special attention to the entire upstream and downstream storage value chain that goes beyond just the storage and memory itself. In particular, it unfolds critical areas across the industry, consisting of storage media, solutions, system platforms, testing equipment and more. Mr. Sun affirmed that only through collaboration across the entire industry chain can we continuously drive the advancement of the sector and maintain a leading position in global competition.

Xiaofei Zhang, Chief Analyst for Electronics Industry from Haitong Securities, stated that, from the perspective of overall storage market, the HBM3e has exerted impacts on the production schedule of DDR5, and the decline in DRAM prices remains restricted. In the NAND sector, the inventory adjustments at server terminals are entering the final stages; coupled with AI driving demand for high-capacity storage products, prices have continued to rise in Q2. Although the recent increase in NAND prices has slowed, it still exceeds market concerns. Looking ahead, the penetration of AI terminal applications is accelerating, leading to a sustained increase in demand for computing and storage solutions.

Yimao Cai, Dean of the School of Integrated Circuits at Peking University, expressed that semiconductor storage, considered as one of the largest segment of the integrated circuit industry, has encountered considerable challenges after stepping into the post-Moore and AI era. On one hand, traditional memory technologies have posed significant limits on the integration density and reliability below 28nm, and there is an urgent need for breakthroughs in underlying technologies. On the other hand, the traditional computing chips are insufficient to satisfy the high-efficiency demands for intelligent equipment, catalyzed by the surging growth in AI computing needs, as the traditional chip hardware incurs high costs and energy consumption. It can be observed that innovations in foundational units and process integration are crucial to the progress of memory technology, and new forms of storage technology are becoming increasingly mature.

Prasad Alluri, VP and GM for Client Storage, SBU from Micron Technology, emphasized that “AI is everywhere and AI applications have entered every corner of people’s daily lives in all kinds of forms. For instance, smartphone manufacturers have introduced AI capabilities in high-end phones, and the storage capacity of LPDDR 5 has been increased to between 12GB and 16GB to accommodate ever-increasing datasets. In addition, storage technology has evolved to UFS 4.0, which more than doubles power efficiency compared to the previous generation. In the realm of edge devices, autonomous driving will be elevated from Level 0 to Level 5 supported by the enhanced AI technology. Industry experts predict that the bit density required for automotive memory will increase by approximately 30 times, while the non-collision bits in power systems will grow nearly 100 times. None of the enhancements, whether in data centers, edge devices, or memory and storage environments, would be possible without the technological progress we’ve achieved generation after generation.”

Yan Li, Vice President of Advanced Technology at Western Digital, pointed out that the 3D NAND flash market is highly competitive and constantly evolving. The number of NAND cells stacked has experienced substantial growth, from 48 layers in 2017 to 64 and 96 layers. Up to date, Western Digital has completed mass production of its 218-layer products; while Micron Technology has already mass-produced its 280-layer products as stated in its keynote. Dr. Yan Li shared her insights that the continuous increase of layers might not be considered as an ideal strategy because large amounts of capitals are required for new equipment as complexity of the products rises. Should the market fail to accommodate these new products and prices start to decline, it could lead to a vicious cycle.

Dr. Yan Li then moved on to make some explanations of the trade-offs involved in 3D NAND scaling technology. There are four main vectors to scaling: vertical scaling, lateral scaling, architecture scaling, and logical scaling. Taking its product PC SN5000S NVMe SSD as an example, Dr. Li noted that this model is equipped with cost-effective BiCS6 NAND technology and DRAM-less QLC PCIe Gen4 SSD, and its internal controller and firmware provide a perfectly optimized solution which can be introduced to the market within a shorter time and allowed for quality control. Compared to the previous generation, it offers a 51% improvement in memory density and a 12% increase in layer density. In relation to the mainstream TLC SSD, QLC SSD features enhanced performance and its major metrics are matched with TLC SSD. In consumer and commercial sectors, QLC SSDs are now being widely adopted by PC OEMs.

Wallace C. Kou, President & CEO of Silicon Motion, claimed that AI will be the ever-lasting energy and vitality that propel continuous growth in the global market. Storage is regarded as one of the key areas in the artificial intelligence ecosystem, and the market requires more relevant software and applications to make AI edge devices more meaningful and appealing to consumers.

Benny Ni, GAR Sales VP at Solidigm, remarked that the company currently possesses leading innovative technologies in the fields of TLC and QLC, enabling it to offer a powerful portfolio of data center storage products and storage solutions that optimize AI storage efficiency.

Zhinong Liu, Executive Vice President of UNISOC, signified that in the all-scenario AI computing system, software serves as the “engine”, chips as the “foundation”, the ecosystem as the “link”, and products as the “carrier”. The company will continue to strengthen its advanced semiconductor manufacturing platform based on strategy and capability centers, maintain supply chain security, ensure efficient and stable product delivery, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Haibing Xie, Director of Application Design in Center, Intel China, mentioned that AI PCs are the best carriers for edge-side AI and will lead the next explosion in the PC industry. The Intel Core Ultra is equipped with powerful AI capabilities, enabling the deployment of “generative AI” on PCs. At present, the company’s AI PC chips have shipped 20 million units, and it is expected to reach 40 million units by the end of the year, with projected shipments of 100 million units in 2024-2025.

Haiqing Huang, R&D Vice General Manager at Victory Giant Technology, revealed that the AI investment landscape among global tech companies is currently marked by an unparalleled enthusiasm, and the three main application markets, namely the smartphones, PCs, and servers, are bound to experience a welcome upswing brought by the development of AI applications. As of now, there is a constant increase in memory bandwidth, and Victory Giant has been accelerating its product R&D investments to meet the demands of high-performance computing, data centers, AI training, and inference scenarios. The fifth-generation high-performance memory (DDR5) is already in mass production, while the development of the sixth generation (DDR6) and seventh generation (DDR7) products is underway.

Sam Sun, Chairman of BIWIN Storage, voiced that the evolving storage industry has brought a bright spot and prominent attention to the testing and packaging sector. This is particularly true as advanced packaging moves towards miniaturization and integration, and technical barriers are progressively becoming higher. The company is deepening its research and development efforts in the integrated packaging and testing layout to enhance its competitive edge. It is anticipated that the Integrated R&D and Packaging 2.0 Strategy will transform the company from a storage product supplier into a comprehensive partner offering wafer-level advanced packaging and testing services. This will provide industry partners with higher-quality in-depth solutions and promote a comprehensive enhancement of customer value.

Rui Ding, General Manager, Product Department, Consumer Cloud Platform Business Group at iFLYTEK, declared that the development of large models has transitioned AI from a “tool” to an “assistant”, capable of performing a wider range of tasks through more natural conversational forms. In the future, iFLYTEK hopes to collaborate with various industry stakeholders to promote the development of AI technology.

Chloe Ma, VP of China GTM for IoT Line of Business at Arm, claimed that the wave of AI is sweeping across various sectors. Generative AI is not only being deployed in the cloud but is also rapidly making its way to the edge, where storage plays a crucial role in AI computing from the cloud to the edge. In response to the innovative demands of the new era of edge AI, Arm is committed to advancing in three major areas: hardware, software, and ecosystem development.

Feng Chen, Senior Vice President of Rockchip, mentioned that an increasing number of industries and applications are integrating AI with IoT, making AIoT the optimal pathway for the intelligent transformation of traditional sectors and a key direction for the future development of the IoT. The rapid expansion of the AIoT market is creating opportunities for AIoT chips while also driving greater demands for data transmission, storage, and computing, which poses challenges for chip processing power. Rockchip continues to release new chips to support AIoT applications.

Jie Chen, Co-founder and VP of Data Storage Technology at InnoGrit, highlighted that in the AI era, as well as the data age, higher challenges have been presented for storage technologies. Faster and more efficient SSD interfaces will contribute to breaking through storage limitations. The collaborative optimization between InnoGrit’s memory controller chips and domestically produced flash memory will enhance the read/write performance and QOS competitiveness of storage products, jointly shaping the future of China’s storage industry.

Vic Huang, Vice General Manager of QUANXING Technology, noted that the computing architecture of solutions provided by QUANXING is not constrained by the size of large models, which contributes to a significant reduction in the cost of local deployment. The company is focused on a full range of high-end domestic storage products, aiming to complete the “last mile” of AI and striving to become a leader in the era of AI for everyone.

Zheng Qiu, Technical Marketing Manager at Montage Technology, remarked that the rapid development of AI has generated immense demand for both computing power and storage capacity. The high-speed and stable data transfer between high-performance processors and large-capacity memory is of utmost importance. In response, “transmission chips” surfaced as a timely solution.

Don Hu, Vice President of Marketing at Allwinner Technology, shared insights on the company’s industrial layout, technological direction, and industry applications. Mr. Hu introduced Allwinner’s exploration in areas such as general-purpose computing power, dedicated computing power, computational expansion, and multi-modal sensing. He also explained how Allwinner gives a full play to the fundamental role played by computing power to provide high-quality chips and services for industries like smart living, smart cities, and smart industries.

Lei Hu, Director of Business Management at Applied Materials (AMAT), conducted an in-depth analysis of the technologies involved in high-bandwidth memory, including DRAM chips, logic controllers, and HBM stacks, as well as the additional material engineering processes. He further added that AMAT is capable of providing clients with cutting-edge packaging equipment to empower the elevation of customer value by taking advantage of its strong R&D capabilities to facilitate the advancement of high-bandwidth memory technology.

Lee Chee Ping, Senior Director of LAM Research, commented that the AI chip market is flourishing with rapid growth, and the enhancement of AI chip performance requires the essential support of advanced packaging. Moreover, advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration are also the primary methods in the semiconductor industry for optimizing performance, power, form factor, and cost.

Youngsuk Kim, Director of DISCO, remarked that from 2023 to 2029, the advanced packaging market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11%, making 2.5D/3D packaging equipment increasingly important. DISCO has extensive experience in mass production and has closely collaborated with customers during the R&D phase, providing solutions for thinning and cutting HBM and 2.5D-PKG. Mr. Kim then introduced the performance and advantages of various equipment, including DFD6860HS, DGP8761HC, DGP8761, DFL7262, DFL7362, and DFD6362/6363.

Focusing on Frontline Technologies to Foster a New and Autonomous Ecosystem

The summit also established a dedicated forum, dubbed “Memory Industry Chain Ecosystem Forum”, for enterprises across the memory industry chain to further decode memory future trends. An array of leading companies, including Skyverse, Loongson, Like Automation Equipment, Micro-Nano (HongKong), OKN Technology, Maxwell, Attach Point Intelligent Equipment, Tytantest, Maxio, Silergy and Heyan Technology, had gathered to share their insights. Discussions focused on cutting-edge trends, industry pain points, and solutions related to wafer testing, memory packaging, aging testing, product and technology innovation, terminal applications, yield improvement, and cost reduction.

Song Zhang, Executive Vice President of Skyverse, observed that it has become the industry trend to identify defects by machines through AI decision-making, aimed at helping customers to locate defects more effectively and further enhance production yield and efficiency. In practical applications, it can be noted that system inspection has demonstrated better results in efficiency and accuracy than manual inspection, which aids to significantly improve production efficiency for the clients. Skyverse will remain dedicated to driving innovation in AI products to provide high-quality solutions for domestic customers in the future.

Shan Jiang, General Manager of Guangdong Loongson Electronic Technology, affirmed that Loongson has gained more innovative space for the industry and market through self-reliance and independence. Autonomy has granted Loongson greater freedom, enhanced cost-effectiveness, and a more secure supply chain. Committed to becoming both a contributor and a maintainer of the international upstream community, Loongson aims to achieve independence and compatibility on the global stage at the same time, rather than decoupling or breaking the chain.

Simon Ye, General Manager of Like Automation Equipment, expressed that the company’s next-generation innovative technology of 2.5D/3D large-size packaging bumping is currently being validated through product development with domestic clients.

Steve Pei, CEO of Micro-Nano (Hong Kong) Technology, mentioned that as a professional manufacturer of wafer thickness measurement systems, Micro-Nano now mainly provides the SemDex M1 semi-automatic system and the SemDex A fully automatic system, with over 1,000 units installed globally, placing the company at the forefront of the industry.

Ming Zhao, General Manager of OKN Technology, observed that the company has initiated the R&D for PCIe GEN6 based on the GEN5 SSD testing system. With intense competition in the industry, OKN sees this as an opportunity to enhance its internal drive, strengthen its R&D capabilities, and foster product innovation, continuously providing better solutions for its customers.

Kuilin Jin, Vice General Manager of Sales at Maxwell Technologies, pointed out that independent R&D is crucial. Through technological innovation, Maxwell aims to achieve the import substitution of key core components, break the foreign technology monopoly and ensure supply chain security.

Xiaolong Ouyang, R&D VP at Attach Point Intelligent Equipment (APIE), shared his insights that APIE’s one-stop solution has achieved AI Inside applications, supporting the packaging of mature storage chips required for AI, as well as advanced packaging solutions for AI storage chips, including HBM, 2.5D, TCB, and HB.

Aaron Xu, CTO of Tytantest, highlighted that through its efforts on forward R&D, domestic manufacturing of complete machines, and validation on self-owned production lines, Tytantest strives to achieve fully automated and self-controllable processes, enabling to develop solutions that better meet customer needs.

Huan Ren, Marketing Director at Maxio Technology, confirmed that the company continues to maintain a high level of investment in research and development. Its R&D expenditures have increased from 155 million yuan in 2021 to 380 million yuan in 2023, which have already been translated into several mass-produced products. Among these, the MAP1102 main control chip has exceeded 50 million units shipped. Compared to similar products on the market, Maxio’s offerings demonstrate a leading advantage in I/O speed and energy efficiency, as well as a deep understanding and proactive layout in the integration of hardware and software.

Leo Cao, Senior Sales Director at Silergy, said that in the storage industry chain, the company possesses several advantages, including highly efficient product integration, extensive experience collaborating with top-tier clients, a wide range of product coverage, supply chain security, and global collaborative research and development. Silergy has achieved a global layout in R&D and service, and stayed true to its mission to prioritize customer needs.

Kent Wang, Business Development Manager at Heyan Technology, introduced that the company has gone through three development stages: the basic products of 6-inch dicing machines, upgraded products of 8-inch/12-inch dicing machines, and high-end products such as cutting and sorting machines and de-bonding machines. With rich technological accumulation and industrial experience, the company is capable of providing reliable and stable consistency assurance for customers, supporting customized solutions for different processes, and offering process-related technological innovations to meet advanced packaging demands.

After a day of intense intellectual exchanges, the guests gathered for a grand dinner where the GMIF 2024 Annual Awards were presented. Following a rigorous selection process, many companies, including Intel, Micron, GigaDevice, Arm, UNISOC, SIXUNITED, Victory Giant, BIWIN Storage, Solidigm, Western Digital, Rockchip, Allwinner Technology, Weibu Information, Heyan Technology, OKN Technology, Attach Point Intelligent Equipment, iWISEETEC, Tytantest, Hemei Jingyi, Silicon Motion, Maxio, QUANXING, MICROFROM, Konsemi, Silergy, LKAUTO, Maxwell, Skyverse, RORZE, ExTripod Electronics, EPS, InnoGrit, POWEV, KingSpec and more, had been honored with the 2024 Annual Awards, receiving unanimous recognition from the expert judges.

In summary, as a grand feast in the global storage field, the GMIF Innovation Summit has successfully held three consecutive sessions and received commendation from the industry. It has now become one of the most influential high-end summits in the domestic storage sector. In the future, the GMIF Innovation Summit will strive for deeper market service and innovative formats, creating a higher-level platform for communication and collaboration. The summit aims to explore more impactful industry events, analyze industry trends and opportunities with an international perspective, and promote mutual benefits within the industry. We look forward to seeing you again next year!

About GMIF

GMIF (Global Memory Innovation Forum) is the most important annual event of Shenzhen Memory Industry Association (SMIA). The forum aims to build a globally-focused, professional platform for the storage industry to collectively explore new technologies, applications, collaborations, and emerging opportunities. The Third GMIF2024 Innovation Summit is scheduled to be held on September 27, 2024 at Renaissance Shenzhen Bay Hotel. Under the theme of “AI Leads Memory’s New Momentum”, the summit aims to foster communication and interaction among both upstream and downstream enterprises in the storage industry. By promoting collaboration and complementary growth among industry partners, the GMIF seeks to help participating companies expand their product and brand reach and contribute to a thriving, win-win ecosystem in the global storage sector.

For more information about GMIF, please visit https://www.gmif.com.cn/.

Media Contact:
Ms. Gu, 15064010336, wenjing.gu@gmif.com.cn

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SOURCE Shenzhen Memory Industry Association

Technology

Global Times: Head-of-state diplomacy shines at WAIC, fostering ties and advancing global governance consensus

Published

3 hours ago

July 18, 2026

BEIJING, July 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday held a series of high-level meetings on the sidelines of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, sitting down successively with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The bustling diplomatic activity transformed the WAIC from a premier showcase of AI technologies and industrial breakthroughs into a vibrant platform for head-of-state diplomacy and global governance coordination.

Analysts said hosting intensive head-of-state diplomatic events in Shanghai, a core hub of reform, opening-up and technological innovation, carries profound meaning. In addition, Friday’s high-level meetings embody the innovative model of “technology builds the stage while diplomacy takes the leading role.” It not only deepens China’s bilateral relations with ASEAN members, but also helps advance inclusive global AI governance centered on the UN mechanism.

Strategic guidance

According to the two separate official releases by Xinhua, during his meetings with the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia, President Xi spoke of the long-standing friendship China shares with both nations. He called on China and Thailand, as well as China and Cambodia, to join hands to advance the development of their respective communities with a shared future.

Furthermore, the Chinese leader stressed the need for China to expand pragmatic cooperation with Thailand and Cambodia respectively across traditional and emerging sectors, and work with each country to jointly crack down on cross-border crimes such as online gambling and telecom fraud, according to Xinhua.

He called for the proper handling of border frictions between Thailand and Cambodia and called on the two sides to resolve disputes through dialogue and consultation, with China standing ready to continue playing a constructive role in this regard, per Xinhua.

During their respective meetings with the Chinese leader, the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia both expressed willingness to deepen multi-field cooperation with China and spoke highly of China’s positive efforts to facilitate the peaceful settlement of the Thailand-Cambodia border conflicts.

Xu Liping, Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that head-of-state diplomacy has charted the fundamental course for the advancement of China’s ties with both Cambodia and Thailand.

WAIC exemplifies the innovative model of “technology builds the platform, while diplomacy takes the leading role,” said Xu, “In addition, AI cooperation is also expected to serve as a vital entry point to further deepen and substantiate China’s ties with Thailand and Cambodia going forward.”

Furthermore, addressing the sensitive and thorny Thailand-Cambodia border dispute amid the relatively relaxed atmosphere of a tech summit enables all relevant parties to handle differences in a rational and pragmatic manner, which embodies Eastern wisdom and an Asian approach to resolving issues, said Xu.

The year 2026 marks the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership, witnessing the official rollout of the new Plan of Action on the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2026-2030). It also kicks off the implementation of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan.

The critical juncture offers a perfect window to align China’s development plans closely with the national development strategies of Global South countries and ASEAN members, said Xu. “Thailand and Cambodia’s willingness to ramp up cooperation with China mirrors the aspiration of the majority of ASEAN members to leverage China’s development dividends and pursue win-win outcomes and common prosperity in the region.”

Firm support for UN

In his meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday, Xi reiterated China’s firm support for the UN.

Noting that this year marks the 55th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China at the UN, the Chinese leader said China has since been committed to building world peace, contributing to global development, defending international order, and firmly supporting the UN, Xinhua reported.

Xi added that he proposed the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and the four global initiatives with one important consideration in mind – to uphold the status and authority of the UN.

Currently, the international landscape is marked by more pronounced changes and turbulence, making it all the more necessary to practice true multilateralism and reinvigorate the status and role of the UN, he said.

Guterres commended China for its steadfast support for multilateralism, the cause of the UN, and international cooperation, saying that China has set an example for the world.

Guterres said the UN will continue to strengthen cooperation with China, oppose unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemonic bullying, safeguard the UN Charter and international law, as well as advance the process toward a multipolar world.

At this pivotal juncture where talks on AI development and UN multilateral governance converge, China, leveraging head-of-state diplomacy as a top-tier platform, has elaborated in a systematic manner its vision for global governance in the AI era, Wang Yiwei, a professor at the School of International Studies, Renmin University of China, told the Global Times.

He added that China’s emphasis on the UN-centered global governance architecture will further strengthen the UN’s authority and operational capacity.

Before the official opening of the WAIC, on Thursday, representatives from 29 countries, including Kazakhstan, Laos, Pakistan, Russia and Indonesia, signed an agreement on establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) in Shanghai. UN chief Guterres was among representatives from countries and international organizations present at the signing ceremony.

According to the agreement, WAICO will be an independent intergovernmental international organization, which aims to promote international cooperation and global governance on AI, ensuring that AI is beneficial, safe and fair, thereby promoting its healthy and orderly development to benefit all humanity.

President Xi on Friday also announced that in the next five years, China will provide developing countries with 5,000 opportunities in AI training and seminar programs. China will also develop international AI application cooperation centers with the ASEAN, the League of Arab States, the African Union, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS.

However, some international media, including Reuters and Nikkei, used the term “AI diplomacy” describing the grand gathering in Shanghai, claiming that Beijing seeks a new global AI order, challenging US dominance.

In rebuttal, Wang pointed out that China advocates open, inclusive technology that lets AI benefit all humanity under the vision of “AI for All”. In contrast, the US adheres to a mindset of “All for AI”, weaponizing AI for geopolitical rivalry and aiming to outpace China in technological competition. Driven by the “America First” doctrine and capital-centric priorities, Washington’s approach forms a sharp contrast with China’s.

Meanwhile, China’s resolute commitment to upholding the UN system underscores that for China and a wide array of Global South countries, the sensible path lies in reforming and improving the existing global governance architecture rather than discarding it to build parallel institutions from scratch, the expert added.

This article first appeared on Global Times

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SOURCE Global Times

Technology

Global Times: China sends fresh signal on global AI cooperation at WAIC

Published

3 hours ago

July 18, 2026

BEIJING, July 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — “AI development should not be a solo performance by a single country, but a symphony of international cooperation,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday while addressing the opening ceremony of the 2026 World AI Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, stressing that China is ready to be more open, take more practical actions, and assume a more visionary perspective.

We are ready to work with all parties to seize the opportunities of AI development and meet the challenges, and join hands to create a brighter future for humanity, he added.

Xi’s remarks received positive responses from domestic and foreign enterprises and experts, as they spoke highly of China’s scientific and technological achievements in recent years while noting that China’s commitment to openness and cooperation can help ensure that the benefits of AI are shared by all humanity and Chinese solutions in AI governance enable other countries to better tackle the common challenges brought about by AI development.

Openness and win-win cooperation

Xi presented four observations on AI development and governance in the speech. The Chinese leader called for adhering to the principle of openness and win-win cooperation while boosting innovation-driven development. He highlighted the importance of encouraging open-source, openness, collaboration and sharing to facilitate technological innovation, industrial development and scenario-based application of AI.

He also called for strengthening risk-awareness and ensuring that AI is secure and controllable. Stressing the need to ensure that AI is always under human control, Xi urged all sides to jointly oppose overstretching the national security concept in the field of AI or placing one country’s security over that of others.

Third, he called for encouraging inclusiveness and promoting mutual learning among civilizations.

Fourth, he called for advocating solidarity and improving global governance. The important role of the United Nations should be recognized, Xi said, calling for further alignment and coordination on AI development strategies, governance rules and technical standards.

“We must carry out extensive international cooperation and help Global South countries with capacity building to bridge the AI and digital divides, promote sustainable development and prevent creating new historical injustice in AI,” he said.

In the next five years, China will provide developing countries with 5,000 opportunities in AI training and seminar programs, Xi said. He said China will develop international AI application cooperation centers with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the League of Arab States, the African Union, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS. China will enable 30 countries to use the AI-powered meteorological warning system, or MAZU, to safeguard homes around the world.

“President Xi’s remarks underscore China’s commitment to advancing global AI governance and technological innovation through opening-up and win-win cooperation, bringing new opportunities for sharing AI dividends and achieving shared prosperity to countries worldwide, especially developing countries,” Song Yang, professor of School of Economics and research fellow at the National Academy of Development and Strategy at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Friday.

China is sending a clear and important message: AI should become a bridge between countries, not a new dividing line, Luigi Gambardella, president of the Brussels-based international digital association ChinaEU, told the Global Times on Friday on the sidelines of the forum.

“No country, however technologically advanced, can develop and govern AI alone. China’s commitment to openness and cooperation can help ensure that the benefits of AI are shared by all humanity. It can help prevent the fragmentation of technologies, standards and markets, while ensuring that the opportunities created by AI are shared more widely,” Gambardella said.

“President Xi proposed ‘adhering to the principle of openness and win-win cooperation’ and ‘advocating solidarity’, and announced a series of pragmatic measures to support global AI development. These remarks have deeply inspired me and further strengthened my confidence in promoting the inclusive development of AI through opening-up and cooperation,” Xu Li, chairman and CEO of Shanghai-based AI software company SenseTime, told the Global Times on Friday.

Looking ahead, SenseTime aims to bring more field-tested technologies, products, and talent cultivation expertise to more countries and regions, and boost “China innovation” to deliver sustained value across a wider spectrum of industrial scenarios, thereby enabling AI to better benefit all of humanity, Xu said.

China actively supports strengthening global cooperation on AI governance, advocates multilateralism, and promotes the establishment of a global governance framework, which has received positive responses from many Global South countries.

Twenty-nine countries on Thursday signed an agreement in Shanghai on establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO). As an independent intergovernmental international organization headquartered in Shanghai, WAICO will uphold the purposes of the UN Charter, be committed to extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit and adhere to a people-centered approach, according to the agreement, per Xinhua.

Global spotlight on WAIC

Since its inception in 2018, the WAIC has successfully convened for eight consecutive editions, becoming an important window for showcasing cutting-edge AI technologies from China and around the world while deepening international opening-up and cooperation.

Themed “AI Partnership for a Brighter Future”, the exhibition area exceeds 100,000 square meters for the first time this year, attracting the participation of over 1,100 enterprises. The exhibitors are showcasing more than 3,000 products and technologies, with over 300 products making their global debuts.

Among the exhibition highlights are Huawei’s latest AI computing super node system Atlas 950, MiniMax M3 multimodal foundation model, and the world’s first agentic AI phone, alongside a range of humanoid robots and AI-powered dexterous hands.

A German BMW representative, who attended WAIC for the first time, expressed enthusiasm about the event, highlighting the humanoid robotics showcased in the exhibition area – technologies he said he has never encountered before.

The representative told the Global Times that his company has adopted Chinese AI-powered large language models such as Qwen and DeepSeek. “The new updated versions of these models emerge weekly, which is very impressive,” the representative said, speaking highly of the cost efficiency of Chinese models.

However, some Western media outlets keep smearing China’s AI advancements and international cooperation. The Economist even claims that China’s open-source AI is a “trap” and that embracing China is “risky.”

Debunking this groundless smearing, Song said that China’s AI development has consistently adhered to the philosophy of a people-centered approach and AI for good, accumulating a wealth of vivid, replicable, and scalable experiences.

At the opening ceremony of the WAIC, the China Meteorological Administration unveiled the MAZU-FengYun Satellite AI Box. The launch marks a new stage in MAZU’s intelligent early-warning initiative, which was unveiled last year, shifting from providing shared meteorological products to delivering AI-enabled forecasting capabilities, according to the administration.

“Over the past year, meteorological and disaster reduction agencies from more than 40 countries have accessed the MAZU early warning technologies and products via cloud platforms. Customized versions of the tool have been deployed in Nigeria, Djibouti, Pakistan, and other nations, earning widespread recognition from users,” You Yang, a staff member with the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau, told the Global Times on Friday.

“From base models to industry-specific applications, China is opening up its low-cost, replicable technological pathways to the world, thereby lowering the threshold for underdeveloped nations to enter the AI era. Meanwhile, China actively helps developing countries address gaps in technology, talent, and governance capabilities to bridge the digital divide in the age of intelligence,” Song said.

According to a March report from Hugging Face, one of the world’s largest AI open-source communities, China has surpassed the US in monthly downloads and overall downloads. In the past year, Chinese models quickly accounted for the plurality or 41 percent of downloads.

“China possesses three unique institutional advantages in promoting AI for good and inclusive development: First, the new system for nationwide mobilization of resources coordinates development and security, achieving synergistic progress in key technological breakthroughs and rule-making. Second, a people-centered approach ensures that technological advancement benefits the people. Third, a multi-stakeholder agile and collaborative governance model links governments, universities, research institutions, enterprises, and social organizations to explore the synergy between rules and technology, providing China’s experience to the world,” Zeng Yi, a member of the UN Advisory Body on AI, told the Global Times on Friday.

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SOURCE Global Times

Technology

Ecopetrol Reports Cybersecurity Incident

Published

3 hours ago

July 18, 2026

BOGOTA, Colombia, July 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL; NYSE: EC) (the “Company”) announced that it has identified an unauthorized access to certain digital resources owned by the Company and its subsidiaries by an external actor who has not been identified, as well as an attempted ransomware attack that was blocked by the cybersecurity controls implemented across the Company and its subsidiaries. The unauthorized access affected cloud-based file storage environments of approximately 15 subsidiaries (including the Company), resulting in the unauthorized download of data associated with approximately 3,300 user accounts. The external actor communicated extortion demands, threatening to publicly disclose the information that had been unlawfully extracted.

In response to this incident, the Company initiated an investigation and activated its incident response and management protocols. In addition, the Company deployed the following measures aimed at preventing the public disclosure of the unlawfully extracted information, addressing supervisory actions and/or potential financial costs associated with investigation, remediation, and regulatory compliance, as follows:

a. Immediate revocation of unauthorized access to the compromised digital assets.
b. Blocking of mechanisms associated with the mass download of information.
c. Identification, analysis, and containment of the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by the malicious actor.
d. Filing of a criminal complaint before the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia and deployment of cooperation activities with specialized national authorities.
e. Identification of external infrastructures used for the storage or download of information to pursue restriction or blocking actions.
f. Activation of support mechanisms with insurers and specialized capital markets teams to ensure the proper management of the event.
g. Detailed assessment of the downloaded information and determination of its criticality.
h. Enhanced monitoring of the technology infrastructure under critical alert protocols and continuous validation of preventive and detective controls.

As of the date of this report, the Company has not identified any material disruption to its critical operations, production capacity, or essential services; any direct financial impact that would prevent it from continuing to conduct its business activities; or any disclosure of the information subject to the unauthorized access. However, the Company continues to assess the potential exposure of corporate information, which could include confidential, restricted, proprietary, or personal data, as it cannot guarantee that this incident will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, reputation, operating results, or financial condition.

Ecopetrol S.A. will continue to monitor developments related to this matter and, should any material facts or information requiring disclosure to the market be identified, will promptly disclose such information in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Ecopetrol is the largest company in Colombia and one of the main integrated energy companies in the American continent, with more than 19,000 employees. In Colombia, it is responsible for more than 60% of the hydrocarbon production of most transportation, logistics, and hydrocarbon refining systems, and it holds leading positions in the petrochemicals and gas distribution segments. With the acquisition of 51.4% of ISA’s shares, the company participates in energy transmission, the management of real-time systems (XM), and the Barranquilla – Cartagena coastal highway concession. At the international level, Ecopetrol has a stake in strategic basins in the American continent, with Drilling and Exploration operations in the United States (Permian basin and the Gulf of Mexico), Brazil, and Mexico, and, through ISA and its subsidiaries, Ecopetrol holds leading positions in the power transmission business in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, road concessions in Chile, and the telecommunications sector.

This release contains statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements, whether made in this release or in future filings or press releases, or orally, address matters that involve risks and uncertainties, including in respect of the Company’s prospects for growth and its ongoing access to capital to fund the Company’s business plan, among others. Consequently, changes in the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements: market prices of oil & gas, our exploration, and production activities, market conditions, applicable regulations, the exchange rate, the Company’s competitiveness and the performance of Colombia’s economy and industry, to mention a few. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

For more information, please contact:

Investor Relations Office
Email: investors@ecopetrol.com.co

Head of Corporate Communications (Colombia)
Marcela Ulloa
Email: marcela.ulloa@ecopetrol.com.co

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SOURCE Ecopetrol S.A.