Pakistan signs WAICO agreement in China

OUR STAFF REPORT

Published Date: July 17, 2026

Published On: The Nation

Pakistan signed the agreement on the establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO) at a signing ceremony that was held in Shanghai, China on Thursday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar signed the agreement on behalf of Pakistan.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment as a founding member of WAICO to advance international cooperation in the area of Artificial Intelligence, especially from the perspective of the Global South.

It further said that Pakistan looks forward to working closely with fellow WAICO member states in efforts to help bridge the global AI divide and to promote equitable access to AI to advance development for all.

Meanwhile, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar held a bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Shanghai, China, on the sidelines of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC).

The two leaders reviewed the broad canvas of Pakistan-China bilateral relations and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further deepening the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

They underscored the importance of advancing high-quality development under CPEC 2.0 and enhancing collaboration in trade, investment, science and technology, the digital economy, and artificial intelligence.

The two sides also exchanged views on the latest regional and global developments and reaffirmed their resolve to maintain close coordination on issues of mutual interest.

The meeting further reinforced Pakistan-China strategic cooperation and reflected the two countries’ shared commitment to innovation-driven development and emerging technologies.