Singapore considering invitation to join China-led AI bloc

Formally established on July 16, Waico counts 29 countries, including ASEAN members Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar, as founding members.

Published Sep 09, 2026, 04:15 PM

Updated Sep 09, 2026, 04:15 PM

Singapore has been invited to join the China-led AI bloc WAICO and is considering the invitation.

WAICO was established in 2026 with 29 members including ASEAN countries.

Singapore engages multiple international platforms on AI.

SINGAPORE – Singapore is considering an invitation it has received to join a China-led artificial intelligence bloc, as it navigates a growing US-China contest to shape the technology’s global landscape.

China’s World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) is a platform for countries to cooperate on both the development and governance of the technology.

It is seen as a counterpoint to Pax Silica , a US-led initiative aimed at building secure supply chains for AI which Singapore joined in December 2025 as a founding signatory.

“There is no ASEAN position on either WAICO or Pax Silica. Singapore will therefore consider the (WAICO) invitation alongside our broader engagements with China and other international AI cooperation initiatives,” said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo in Parliament on Sept 9.

The two initiatives include different ASEAN countries.

Pax Silica also counts the Philippines among participating countries. The US-led initiative currently has 24 members, including Australia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and Britain.

It seeks to strengthen supply chains underpinning AI, spanning critical minerals and energy to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors and AI infrastructure.

Formally established on July 16, 2026, WAICO has ASEAN members Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar among its 29 founding members.

Whether Singapore participates in any particular initiative depends on its objectives, the substantive areas of common interest, how it complements Singapore’s existing engagements, and Singapore’s overall interests, Teo said.

“It is therefore less meaningful to make one-to-one comparisons between individual initiatives. What matters is the overall relationships we have with each of our partners, and how we can continue to work with them in ways that advance Singapore’s interests and contribute constructively to international cooperation on AI.”

She was responding to questions from Nominated MP Neo Kok Beng and WP MP Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC) on Singapore’s positioning towards WAICO and Pax Silica.

The WAICO invitation comes as Washington and Beijing increasingly seek to build international coalitions around their respective approaches to AI .

In January , Singapore said its participation in Pax Silica is in line with its approach of working with international partners where there are mutual benefits, pointing to opportunities for collaboration and investment in advanced manufacturing and AI infrastructure – both key industries for Singapore and its companies.

WAICO, a Shanghai-based intergovernmental organisation, aims to coordinate in areas such as AI development strategies, governance rules and technical standards, while helping developing countries build their capabilities in AI.

Beijing has positioned the grouping as a way to bridge the global AI divide, arguing that developing countries, particularly those in the Global South, should have greater access to the technology and a say in the rules governing it.

Media reports have suggested that both US and China are rallying support internationally for their respective initiatives.

South China Morning Post reported in Aug 21 that Chinese officials had heavily lobbied ASEAN countries to back their AI framework before it was established, including offering “ exclusive privileges ” for them to do so.

Reuters wrote on Aug 16 that the US was preparing to tell a dozen countries that they essentially had to pick sides, warning that they would be excluded from Pax Silica if they signed up for the Chinese framework.

Elaborating on Singapore’s strategic positioning in international AI cooperation, Teo said that the Republic engages different countries through a range of multilateral, plurilateral and bilateral platforms.

“The engagements arise at different times, serve different purposes, and evolve as our interests and circumstances change,” she said.

As an example, she cited how Singapore in 2022 initiated a digital pillar for the Forum of Small States, a UN grouping of 108 countries which also looks at capacity-building through sharing experiences among its members.

Earlier in 2026 , Teo became a founding member of the AI for Good Global Commission initiated by the International Telecommunications Union, which also has representatives from the US and China.

The Republic’s bilateral platforms include a Cyber Dialogue with the US, and engagement with China via the Digital Policy Dialogue.

Li Ying is a technology correspondent covering online safety, cybersecurity and the impact of artificial intelligence.

AI/artificial intelligence

WAICO于7月16日正式成立，共有29个国家作为创始成员国，其中包括东盟成员国柬埔寨、印度尼西亚、老挝、马来西亚和缅甸。

发布于 2026 年 9 月 9 日下午 4:15

更新于2026年9月9日下午4:15

新加坡已受邀加入由中国主导的人工智能组织WAICO，目前正在考虑接受邀请。

WAICO成立于2026年，拥有29个成员，其中包括东盟国家。

新加坡与多个国际人工智能平台开展合作。

新加坡——新加坡正在考虑是否接受加入中国主导的人工智能联盟的邀请，因为该国正努力应对日益激烈的中美人工智能全球格局塑造竞争。

中国的世界人工智能合作组织（WAICO）是一个供各国在人工智能技术的发展和治理方面进行合作的平台。

它被视为与 Pax Silica 形成对比，Pax Silica 是由美国主导的一项旨在为人工智能构建安全供应链的倡议，新加坡于 2025 年 12 月作为创始签署国加入该倡议。

“东盟对WAICO或Pax Silica均无立场。因此，新加坡将结合与中国的更广泛合作以及其他国际人工智能合作倡议来考虑WAICO的邀请，”新加坡数码发展及新闻部长杨莉明9月9日在国会表示。

这两项倡议涵盖了不同的东盟国家。

Pax Silica的成员国中也包括菲律宾。这项由美国主导的倡议目前拥有24个成员，包括澳大利亚、以色列、日本、韩国和英国。

它旨在加强支撑人工智能的供应链，涵盖关键矿产和能源、先进制造业、半导体和人工智能基础设施。

WAICO于2026年7月16日正式成立，其29个创始成员包括东盟成员国柬埔寨、印度尼西亚、老挝、马来西亚和缅甸。

张先生表示，新加坡是否参与某项具体倡议，取决于该倡议的目标、共同利益的实质性领域、该倡议如何补充新加坡现有的参与，以及新加坡的整体利益。

因此，对各个项目进行一对一比较意义不大。重要的是我们与每个合作伙伴的整体关系，以及我们如何继续与他们合作，以增进新加坡的利益，并为人工智能领域的国际合作做出建设性贡献。

她当时正在回答官委议员梁国明和工人党议员蔡志强（盛港集选区）关于新加坡对WAICO和Pax Silica的立场的问题。

WAICO发出邀请之际，华盛顿和北京正日益寻求围绕各自的人工智能方法建立国际联盟。

今年 1 月，新加坡表示，参与 Pax Silica 符合其与国际合作伙伴互惠互利的方针，并指出在先进制造业和人工智能基础设施领域存在合作和投资的机会——这两个行业都是新加坡及其企业的关键产业。

WAICO是一个总部位于上海的政府间组织，旨在协调人工智能发展战略、治理规则和技术标准等领域，同时帮助发展中国家提升其人工智能能力。

北京方面将该组织定位为弥合全球人工智能鸿沟的一种方式，认为发展中国家，特别是全球南方国家，应该更多地获得这项技术，并在管理该技术的规则方面拥有发言权。

媒体报道显示，美国和中国都在国际社会争取对各自倡议的支持。

《南华早报》8月21日报道称，中国官员在东盟国家建立人工智能框架之前，曾大力游说东盟国家支持该框架，甚至为此提供“专属特权”。

路透社8月16日报道称，美国正准备告知十几个国家，它们基本上必须选边站队，并警告说，如果它们加入中国的框架协议，将被排除在“硅谷和平进程”（Pax Silica）之外。

张志贤在阐述新加坡在国际人工智能合作中的战略定位时表示，新加坡通过一系列多边、诸边和双边平台与不同国家进行合作。

“这些合作项目出现的时间不同，目的也不同，而且会随着我们的兴趣和情况的变化而发展，”她说。

她举例说，新加坡在 2022 年为联合国小国论坛（一个由 108 个国家组成的联合国集团）启动了数字支柱项目，该项目也致力于通过分享成员国之间的经验来提升能力。

2026年初，Teo成为国际电信联盟发起的“人工智能向善全球委员会”的创始成员之一，该委员会还有来自美国和中国的代表。

共和国的双边平台包括与美国的网络对话，以及通过数字政策对话与中国进行接触。

李颖是一名科技记者，报道网络安全、网络安全保护以及人工智能的影响。

人工智能