ISTANBUL 

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday expressed Beijing's support for the United Nations' leading role in reforming the international financial system and global governance of artificial intelligence (AI), Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. 

Xi met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The Chinese president stressed the need for global solidarity in humanity's journey into the future, noting that the journey will not be without challenges.

He emphasized that major countries bear unique responsibilities and advocated for greater attention to the voices and demands of the global South.

China believes the United Nations should take the lead in reforming the international financial system and the global governance of AI, the spokeswoman said in a statement on X, quoting Xi as saying during his meeting with the UN chief.

According to a new report by a UN agency, Chinese-based inventors are filing the highest number of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) patents.

Earlier on Thursday, Chinese Deputy Industry and Information Technology Minister Shan Zhongde said the country's AI companies now number more than 4,500. He added that China ranks second in the world in terms of computing power.  

China congratulates Belarus on SCO membership 

Meanwhile, the Chinese president met with Belarus's President Alexander Lukashenko in Astana on Thursday.

XI congratulated Belarus on becoming a member of the SCO, expressing hope that the two sides will maintain mutual support and sincere cooperation, as well as the healthy and steady growth of bilateral relations, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman.