The United States and China have concluded high-level talks in New York and proposing a new joint notification mechanism to manage artificial intelligence (AI) risks that threaten national security.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng led the discussions on Sunday. The proposed system aims to increase transparency between the world’s top two AI powers by alerting each other to severe AI-related incidents, such as cyberattacks or the loss of human control over AI models.
This proposal sets the stage for the highly anticipated summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington later this week.
"Moving from opaque to more transparency between the number one and number two AI powers is very important" Bessent told reporters, emphasizing the need to manage common global threats. While Chinese state media acknowledged the discussions, experts note that deep-rooted mistrust and intense technological competition may limit broader cooperation.
Beyond AI safety, the officials also addressed ongoing economic tensions. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer confirmed progress on operationalizing a "Board of Trade" an initiative first discussed by Trump and Xi in May.
This board will explore potential tariff reductions on a small and mutually beneficial list of non-strategic goods. While the exact list is pending, Greer suggested it could include consumer products, agricultural goods, energy and medical devices.
Ultimately the talks reflect an effort to stabilize the delicate US-China relationship, seeking incremental progress in both trade and technology while avoiding further escalation.
