On July 18th, Kim Jong-man, representative of the Global Innovation Center (KIC China) under the South Korean Ministry of Science and Technology Information and Communications, said in an interview with Yonhap that China's innovation capabilities are rapidly improving, and market competition is becoming increasingly fierce. South Korean companies should actively participate in major Chinese technology exhibitions such as the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, to gain firsthand knowledge of the latest developments in China's technology and industry.
The 8th World Artificial Intelligence Conference was held in Shanghai from July 17th to 20th. KIC China organized 8 South Korean small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in the exhibition. This marked the first time that South Korean AI companies were represented at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference.
Kim Jong-won pointed out that Korean companies urgently need to align their technologies with those of the global and Chinese markets, and quickly determine their own technological capabilities. Participating in such exhibitions is an important way to compare advantages and disadvantages, as well as to identify Korean companies’ advantageous technologies and key products. He said that if Korean companies break away from China’s supply chain system, it will be difficult for them to maintain market competitiveness. Companies need to prototype and test their products at low costs and quickly. With the current speed of R&D and production in Korea, it may be difficult for companies to keep up with the pace of competition in today’s market. He emphasized that China’s technological strength is rapidly increasing, and there are numerous related companies in the Chinese market. The Korean industry must face up to the fierce competitive environment in the Chinese market.
Speaking of his experience visiting this year's exhibitions, Jin Zhongwen said that in the past, Chinese companies were relatively cautious when presenting their core technologies to the outside world. Now, they are actively and publicly sharing their top technologies and product details. The exhibits cover all aspects from basic research and development to practical applications, and the industrial collaboration among Chinese companies is becoming more mature and efficient.
On July 17, 2026, the World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-level Meeting on Global Artificial Intelligence Governance (WAIC 2026) opened simultaneously in Shanghai's World Expo Area, Zhangjiang, and West Coast areas, with four different venues hosting events. This four-day event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the National Internet Information Office, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the China Association for Science and Technology, and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government. It is a high-level international event in the field of artificial intelligence in China.
