The Digital Economy Trade Partnership Agreement (DEPA), as the fi rst digital agreement in the AsiaPacifi c region, provides a governance framework for Artifi cial intelligence (AI) in the manner of international soft law for the contracting parties, aiming to maintain coherence among them in this area. The soft-law AI clauses not only eff ectively enable international cooperation on AI but also reserve space for DEPA parties to develop AI technologies domestically. Moreover, the soft law content of the DEPA AI clauses build consensus and interacts, intentionally or unintentionally, with the AI legal frameworks of the EU, the US, as well as the United Nations’ global AI resolution co-sponsored by China. Currently, China has applied to join DEPA. In the future, China needs to strengthen international cooperation in AI technology and actively participate in the global coordination of AI governance. This will further enhance the level of international cooperation in AI governance, requiring a focus on being trustworthy, secure, and responsible, and guided by the principles of explain-ability, transparency, fairness, and human-centeredness. This alignment will ensure that domestic governance of AI meets the requirements of Article 8.2 of the DEPA, thereby facilitating a smooth connection with the DEPA’s AI Clauses and contributing to the construction of a global AI governance system.