US and China launch AI dialogue ahead of Trump-Xi summit

Summary

• US and Chinese officials agreed in New York to set up a bilateral dialogue on artificial intelligence ahead of the Trump-Xi summit.
• A trade truce that cut tariffs and export controls expires in November and tops the summit agenda.
• Extending it buys the world's two largest economies time on disputes, with AI now a new flashpoint between them.

The latest

The US and China will create a dialogue on AI aimed at a shared understanding of goals and threats, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said after talks in New York with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, which he called very successful.

Details

• The US position: Bessent said Washington proposed a notification mechanism between the two countries, and the channel will be called the "US-China Dialogue on AI."
• Beijing's view: Xinhua described the talks as candid, in-depth and constructive. China's chief trade negotiator Li Chenggang said a working group will continue them.
• Trade: The two sides are working to ease barriers on $30 billion of goods from each side through their trade council, including US energy and farm products, according to Bloomberg.
• The tech dispute: US officials and Silicon Valley firms have accused Chinese companies of systematically extracting knowledge from US models to build their own products.

What's next

Trump hosts Xi at the White House on Thursday, Xi's first state visit to Washington in more than a decade. New US tariffs have been delayed until after the summit, Bloomberg reported, and the truce expires in November.

Source: Bloomberg