US Opens Door to AI Risk Talks With China Before Trump-Xi Summit
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Wednesday that the United States is willing to discuss shared artificial intelligence risks with China during talks scheduled for this weekend in New York. Bessent will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng ahead of a planned summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 24th. The discussions will cover AI development, trade, rare earth minerals and other economic issues, with both countries planning to address topics like whether their AI systems remain interoperable or split into separate systems. While Trump administration officials reject calls to slow AI development, citing competition with China, the meetings signal potential engagement on AI safety between the two rival superpowers. Experts note that despite deep mutual distrust, both countries face shared vulnerabilities from increasingly autonomous systems. However, a major breakthrough in safety cooperation remains uncertain.
Key facts
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng this weekend in New York for multi-hour talks on AI, trade, and rare earth minerals
- The talks precede a Trump-Xi summit scheduled for September 24, 2026 in Washington
- Trump administration has explicitly rejected industry calls to slow AI development, citing competition with China
- Discussions will cover both open and closed-weight AI models and the risk of AI system bifurcation between nations
- Bessent framed the U.S. position as one of strength, stating the United States remains the leader in AI
How different outlets framed it
Left-leaning coverage: Left-leaning coverage emphasizes the need for AI safety measures and warns that the Trump administration's prioritization of beating China over safety concerns could be dangerous. Sources highlight calls from industry leaders and researchers for slowing development and establishing meaningful safety protocols, while noting Trump's dismissal of extinction risks as a hoax.
Right-leaning coverage: Right-leaning sources emphasize maintaining U.S. technological leadership and warn against regulations that could handicap American innovation. They highlight Trump's position that the U.S. must not lose the AI race to China and frame safety discussions as secondary to competitive advantage. Coverage underscores that America's edge in chips and AI development must be protected.
Limits of this briefing
Coverage is dominated by business and policy sources, with limited direct commentary from AI safety researchers themselves. Some reporting is preliminary, with White House officials having initially denied the meetings were planned. The actual substance of the talks remains unclear, and whether any concrete agreements will emerge is uncertain.
Sources
- Axios: Scoop: U.S. open to discuss AI "shared risks" with China, Bessent says Centre
- CNN: Trump won't put the brakes on AI because he wants to beat China Centre
- NBC News: Trump and Xi Jinping summit to highlight U.S.-China AI competition Left
- The Hill: Trump warns against losing AI race to China despite safety concerns Centre
- Foreign Policy: AI Talks: U.S. and China Can Cooperate Without a Grand Bargain Centre