Trump, Xi to Consider AI Safety Alerts and Trade Truce Extension

The United States and China face mounting pressure to manage risks from artificial intelligence while preserving a fragile trade arrangement ahead of their leaders' meeting in Washington this week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that Washington proposed a notification system for AI-related national security incidents during talks in New York with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. The mechanism would form part of a new bilateral AI dialogue, with both sides agreeing to meet again on the issue.

Bessent described the goal as increasing transparency between the world's top two AI powers. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer added that export controls on advanced chips remain outside these talks. The two officials also reported progress on a Board of Trade framework first announced during President Trump's May visit to Beijing and discussed possible tariff relief for non-sensitive goods such as Chinese consumer items and U.S. energy, agricultural products, and medical devices.

A trade truce set to expire November 10 adds urgency. President Trump has separately announced plans for an AI Force and an AI Czar while rejecting broad regulation and emphasizing the need for continued U.S. leadership. A United Nations report cited in coverage shows the United States controlling 75 percent of global top AI supercomputing power compared with China's 15 percent. Chinese state media described the New York discussions as candid and constructive but omitted any reference to the proposed AI notification channel.

Experts cited across reports assess the likelihood of a major AI agreement at the Thursday summit as low, pointing to mutual distrust and differing regulatory approaches. The European Union maintains its AI Act, while Japan and South Korea have adopted frameworks; the United States has pursued voluntary industry measures instead. Analysts expect at most a joint statement signaling continued dialogue rather than binding commitments.