Shanghai: Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, along with the Pakistan delegation, attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on Friday, which was addressed by President Xi Jinping, following the establishment of WAICO on Friday night through the signing of the agreement by the Founding Members, including Pakistan.
Pakistan supports inclusive and equitable global AI governance, wider access to emerging technologies, capacity-building for developing countries, and enhanced international cooperation to bridge the digital divide and ensure that the benefits of artificial intelligence are shared by all.
Meanwhile Deputy Prime Minister/ Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar concluded his two-day visit to Shanghai, China, on 17 July 2026.
During the visit, the Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister signed the Agreement on the Establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) on behalf of Pakistan. A total of 29 countries signed the Agreement. It may be recalled that Pakistan is one of the founding members of WAICO, a key platform for international cooperation, capacity building, and bridging the digital divide. The signing ceremony was preceded by a banquet hosted by President Xi Jinping in honour of the visiting delegations.
Ishaq Dar also attended the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, which was inaugurated by President Xi Jinping.
The Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister also held a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi. During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister underscored the importance of ensuring equitable access to artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. Besides reaffirming their resolve to further strengthen bilateral relations, the two leaders agreed that technological advancement should support sustainable development and the socio-economic progress of developing countries.
The Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister also held meetings on the sidelines of the Conference with his counterparts and other dignitaries to discuss bilateral and multilateral matters of mutual interest.
The visit is expected to further strengthen Pakistan-China cooperation in artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and emerging technologies, while also advancing global cooperation in these fields.
Upon his departure from Shanghai, the DPM/FM was seen off at the airport by Ms. Su Lin, Senior Party Member of the Shanghai Municipal Government's Department of Foreign Affairs, along with officials of the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing and the Consulate General of Pakistan in Shanghai. DPM/FM has departed for Islamabad.
Meanwhile in a statement issued on X, Ishaq Dar wrote 'Just concluded a productive visit to Shanghai, China. I express my sincere appreciation to the Government of the People's Republic of China and its leadership for its warm hospitality and excellent arrangements throughout my short visit. I also commend President Xi Jinping for his insightful keynote address at the opening ceremony of the World AI Cooperation Organization. As President Xi aptly observed, 'AI is an invaluable asset that accumulates the collective wisdom of humanity'-a timely reminder that this transformative technology carries both immense promise and a shared responsibility to ensure it serves the common good'.
Ishaq Dar wrote 'I am particularly grateful to my great friend Foreign Minister Wang Yi for his warm hospitality and our productive discussions. We reaffirmed our shared commitment to the continued advancement of the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership, with a special focus on high-quality development under CPEC 2.0, including the Siah Diq mining project, Karakoram Highway (KKH) Realignment Project, as well as other priority areas of bilateral cooperation agreed between our two countries during the official visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in May 2025. I also commend the valuable contributions of my accompanying delegation, including Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications; Ali Mustafa Dar, Adviser to the Chief Minister of Punjab on Artificial Intelligence and Special Initiatives; Bilal Bin Saqib, Chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA); and Dr. Syed Asad Ali Gillani, Additional Secretary (Asia Pacific), w hose dedication helped make this visit both productive and successful. Also appreciate the officials of the Pakistan Mission and Shanghai consulate in China for their support during my official visit'.
Ishaq Dar wrote 'returning to Islamabad for an important next week of diplomatic engagements and other official responsibilities'.
Meanwhile Ishaq Dar wrote 'Good to meet with Thongsavanh Phomvihane, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, on the margins of #WAIC in Shanghai. We discussed further strengthening Pakistan-Laos cooperation in key areas of mutual interest. We also exchanged views on regional and multilateral developments, as well as reaffirmed the importance of closer engagement with ASEAN'.
Meanwhile Ishaq Dar wrote 'Pleased to meet my friend Ant³nio Guterres, Secretary-General of United Nations, on the sidelines of WAIC in Shanghai, an important new global platform for AI cooperation. We fondly recalled our recent interactions at the UN and through phone calls, and exchanged views on key latest regional and international developments. We also discussed the importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing shared global challenges and advancing peace, sustainable development, and inclusive progress'.
Meanwhile Ishaq Dar wrote 'Pleased to meet my friend Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of Indonesia, on the sidelines of WAICO in Shanghai. We discussed further strengthening Pakistan-Indonesia bilateral relations and expanding cooperation in key priority sectors. We exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues of common interest. We also reviewed the key economic and development outcomes, and the follow-up on understandings reached during the historic visit of President Prabowo Subianto to Pakistan in December 2025, and reaffirmed our shared commitment to translating them into tangible progress for our two brotherly countries'.