- Xi explicitly stated at the White House that the U.S. and China have more opportunity for AI cooperation than competition, calling for dialogue on risks and joint prevention of misuse.
- China's Commerce Ministry confirmed that senior trade negotiators held their first-ever dedicated bilateral AI talks with the U.S., led by Vice-Premier He Lifeng and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
- Trump stated during the meeting that AI concerns the future of humanity and the two countries should maintain dialogue and strengthen cooperation on AI.
- Xi emphasized that AI must remain under human control and serve human progress, stating that a people-centered approach should be upheld.
AI Takes Center Stage at White House Summit
Chinese President Xi Jinping used his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday to argue that artificial intelligence presents more opportunity for cooperation than competition between the two countries. According to a state media readout translated by CNBC, Xi called on both nations to sustain conversations on the technology, share perspectives on its dangers and advantages, and work jointly to prevent harmful or malicious applications.
Xi noted that both nations possess strong AI capabilities and should draw on each other's strengths rather than guard against one another. He stressed that AI must be kept under human control and developed with a people-centered approach so that it serves the progress of humanity.
According to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs readout of the meeting, Trump responded that AI concerns the future of humanity and that the two countries should maintain dialogue and strengthen cooperation on the technology. Both leaders addressed AI as a central topic during the summit, which also covered trade, regional security and bilateral relations.
First Dedicated AI Talks Confirmed
In a separate development announced hours before the presidential summit, China's Commerce Ministry confirmed that its senior trade negotiators had held their first dedicated talks with the U.S. on artificial intelligence. Spokesperson He Yadong told reporters that Vice-Premier He Lifeng met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in New York ahead of the Washington summit, and that the two sides held constructive, candid discussions and reached multiple points of consensus.
The AI talks build on earlier discussions this week in which U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said the two sides discussed establishing an AI dialogue framework and that the U.S. proposed introducing an alert system for AI incidents. The confirmation of dedicated working-level negotiations adds a new channel for bilateral engagement on AI, coming against a backdrop of escalating tensions over semiconductor export controls and allegations of distillation techniques used to replicate American AI capabilities.
Diplomatic Signal Amid Tech Tensions
The AI discussions coincide with signals of broader trade stabilization, with both sides agreeing to extend a tariff truce originally reached in October 2025. Xi described the latest economic consultations as good news for both countries and the world economy, saying the list of cooperation needs to be lengthened while the list of issues should be shortened.
The simultaneous presidential-level engagement on AI and the first dedicated working-level talks indicate that both governments are opening parallel diplomatic tracks on the technology, even as strategic competition in the sector intensifies. Whether these channels produce binding agreements or remain declaratory will depend on follow-through in subsequent rounds of negotiation.
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