CIIS report urges wider AI access for developing countries

A new report from the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) calls for sharing artificial intelligence models, expanding developing countries' access to computing resources and strengthening international cooperation on standards and safety.

Released on October 24 during the 2026 Global Governance Forum in Xiongan, north China's Hebei Province, the report outlines proposals to help more countries develop and use AI while participating in its governance. (Full text: Global Governance Initiative: Towards a More Just, Inclusive and Orderly World)

The report, "Global Governance Initiative: Towards a More Just, Inclusive and Orderly World," was prepared by the Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy Studies Centre at the CIIS.

The report links participation in AI governance with the practical ability to use the technology. Developing countries need the capacity to understand AI, assess its risks and apply it to their needs to participate effectively in shaping its rules, it says.

To broaden access, the report calls on international open-source communities to share AI models, algorithms and software tools. It supports countries adapting open-source models to local needs, alongside jointly developed compliance rules and security guidelines.

Computing resources are another priority. The report proposes connecting AI computing facilities and making computing services more accessible to developing countries.

It also recommends trusted arrangements for secure cross-border data flows in specific sectors, together with jointly developed industry datasets and multilingual text collections for AI development.

The proposals extend to practical applications in healthcare, education, agriculture, manufacturing and poverty alleviation. Countries should share infrastructure and experience and cooperate across borders to expand AI use, the report says.

Alongside wider access, it calls for closer coordination on standards through dialogue among national bodies and work through the International Telecommunication Union, the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission.

This cooperation should accelerate the development and revision of technical standards covering security, industry and ethics. The report also urges efforts to address algorithmic bias and make standards more compatible across countries.

On safety, it recommends legal rules, technical monitoring, risk alerts, and emergency response systems to prevent misuse and keep AI under human control.

It also calls for clear guardrails on military applications of AI while opposing an overly broad interpretation of national security that prioritizes one country's security over others'.