Key facts
- US and China officials discussed an AI incident notification mechanism and potential tariff cuts.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York.
- The talks aimed to increase transparency between the two leading AI powers.
- The discussion occurred ahead of a summit between President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York on Sunday to discuss a potential "notification mechanism" for artificial intelligence incidents that could pose a national security risk. Bessent described the talks as "successful" and emphasized the importance of transparency between the world's two leading AI powers. The meeting comes as US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to hold a summit in Washington later this week. The discussions also touched upon plans to "operationalise" a process for identifying potential tariff cuts on goods, referred to as the Board of Trade. Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that the exchanges were "candid, in-depth and constructive" on key economic and trade issues, including AI. Bessent stated on X that the talks would "help lay the groundwork for President Trump to advance America's economic interests and deliver results for the American people." The US and China are engaged in a significant race to dominate the AI and technology sectors, with Trump having previously stated, "whoever wins in AI, wins."