US and China discuss AI incident channel ahead of Trump-Xi summit
Eight-hour New York talks also covered trade, technology and critical minerals, but no formal AI notification mechanism was announced.
US and Chinese officials have discussed creating a channel to notify each other about potentially serious artificial intelligence incidents, ahead of a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
The proposal was raised during about eight hours of talks in New York involving US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Bessent said Washington had proposed a notification mechanism for AI incidents that reached a national-security level.
US officials said both sides had agreed to meet again, with working-level discussions potentially continuing. However, no formal agreement or operating details for the mechanism were reported, and the Chinese delegation did not brief reporters.
The talks also addressed trade, technology and critical minerals, including a possible extension of the existing trade truce. Greer said teams were continuing to consider tariff reductions and the treatment of non-sensitive goods.
US officials are also seeking continued access to rare earth magnets and other critical minerals used by American manufacturers. The discussions came before the planned White House meeting between Trump and Xi, expected on 24 September.
France 24 reported that expectations for the summit remain limited, with analysts suggesting that maintaining the trade truce may be the most realistic short-term outcome.
