SHANGHAI -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday visited an AI incubator in Shanghai, calling on the city to take the lead in AI development and governance.

The inspection trip came four days after China's leadership convened a dedicated AI study session, where Xi called for gaining a head start in this strategic sector.

"AI technology is evolving rapidly and entering a phase of explosive growth," said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, as he visited the Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center, a large-model incubator home to over 100 enterprises.

During the group study session last Friday, Xi pointed out that AI, as a strategic technology leading the new round of sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation, has profoundly changed the ways people work and live.

The Party Central Committee attaches great importance to the development of AI, and has improved top-level design and strengthened implementation efforts in recent years, Xi said at the session.

In the incubator, Xi joined a salon themed on the autonomous evolution of next-generation intelligent agents, engaging in discussions with young innovators on the spot.

"AI is a nascent industry, and it's also an industry that belongs to young people," said Xi.

He then walked into an AI product experience store, where he inquired in detail about the functions and market trends of the products, and tried on a pair of smart glasses for a firsthand experience.