(Bloomberg) -- The United Nations General Assembly adopted a China-led resolution meant to help poor nations benefit from artificial intelligence, the latest in a tug of war between Beijing and Washington for AI supremacy on the global stage.

The non-binding proposal, which was co-sponsored by the US and many other nations, was largely symbolic. It looked to boost developing countries’ AI capabilities by encouraging “action-oriented international cooperation on capacity-building of AI.” The resolution also called on international organizations and financial institutions to use their resources to help.

Its importance has more to do with what it means for China’s technology rivalry with the US, with the two adversaries jockeying to write the rules for AI governance and portray the other as a destabilizing force. In March, the US rallied support for a UN resolution aimed at promoting “safe, secure and trustworthy” AI systems worldwide, a months-long effort backed by more than 110 countries as co-sponsors — including, at the last minute, China.

China’s resolution also recognizes the UN system has “an important role to play in AI capacity-building.” It requested that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres brief the General Assembly on the unique challenges faced by developing countries and give recommendations on how to address them.

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