The key facts

  • The US and China are launching an AI dialogue and creating a direct channel for notifying each other about model incidents
  • Bessent: the goal is 'de-risk, not decouple'; cooperation does not mean aligned interests
  • Trump and Xi will meet next week in Shenzhen, followed by a fourth meeting in Miami

AI dialogue and a direct communication channel

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that, at Donald Trump's direction, the United States and China have launched a new dialogue on artificial intelligence, tasked with 'protecting against shared risks and preventing misunderstandings between our two systems.' The remarks were delivered at a gala dinner marking the 60th anniversary of the National Committee on US-China Relations in New York, Anadolu reports.

What exactly the sides agreed to do

According to Bessent, the sides expect an exchange of best practices for evaluating and testing advanced models before their release, as well as for preserving 'human judgment' as the primary check on the technology. In addition, the two countries are creating a direct channel so that either side can promptly notify the other of serious incidents involving its AI models. These are concrete mechanisms, not merely a declaration of intent: the notification channel and the exchange of testing practices are measurable elements of the agreement, the details of which have not yet been disclosed.

'De-risking, not decoupling'

Bessent firmly framed the scope of cooperation: 'our goal is to de-risk, not decouple.' He acknowledged that the US trade imbalance with China 'has long been a source of friction' and said that Trump, unlike the former 'political class,' took decisive measures to eliminate it. In his formulation, the American economy had become too dependent on foreign supply, while the Chinese one was too dependent on foreign demand: 'The United States must produce more of what it consumes, and China must consume more of what it produces.' At the same time, he stressed that 'the emphasis on economic strength does not reflect hostility toward trade partnerships' and that, after decades of imbalance, a 'spirit of reciprocity' is being restored.

A warning and upcoming meetings

'We must not harbor illusions about the differences between the United States and China,' Bessent warned, noting that the two sides' interests 'will not always align.' He also said that next week he will join Trump in Shenzhen for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and that a fourth meeting between the two leaders in Miami lies ahead. According to him, Trump and Xi agree that the countries should build constructive relations 'on the basis of balance and reciprocity.' Thus, the AI dialogue was announced on the eve of the leaders' personal contacts, and its practical substance will become clear from the implementation of the declared mechanisms.