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US, China Launch AI Dialogue Ahead of Presidential Summit

Free News Reader  ·  September 20, 2026

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US, China Launch AI Dialogue Ahead of Presidential Summit

  • US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met in New York on Sunday, September 20, 2026, to lay the groundwork for a dialogue on artificial intelligence.

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The AI discussions are a precursor to a high-stakes summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for Thursday, September 24, 2026, in Washington.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng held talks in New York on Sunday, September 20, 2026, where they agreed to establish a dialogue on artificial intelligence. This meeting served as a preparatory session for an upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington on Thursday, September 24, 2026.

The discussions between Bessent and He Lifeng, which also included US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, took place at JPMorgan Chase’s headquarters in Manhattan and aimed to facilitate potential agreements on trade, critical minerals, and AI. Both nations are looking to ease tensions and address strategic concerns, including the possible extension of a trade truce set to expire in November.

Artificial intelligence is a relatively new but prominent issue in these high-level negotiations. The US side has expressed interest in discussing AI “guardrails” to address shared risks, such as preventing advanced AI models from falling into the wrong hands. China, on the other hand, has sought a broader conversation on global AI governance. The dialogue on AI was initially agreed upon by Trump and Xi in Beijing in May 2026, with the aim of establishing an intergovernmental channel.

The upcoming Trump-Xi summit is the second face-to-face meeting between the two leaders this year, following their encounter in Beijing in May. The intensified competition in AI and the need for safety measures have made these discussions increasingly urgent.