US and Chinese officials held successful and constructive talks in New York on Sunday to prepare for the upcoming summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington this week. The meetings, which included US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and China’s vice premier, were intended to set the stage for possible agreements on trade, artificial intelligence, and other issues.
A central focus of the discussions was the creation of a communication channel and dialogue mechanism to address AI concerns. The United States has proposed a new AI safety notification system for incidents that could threaten national security. These efforts aim to establish a shared vision and common understanding of the goals and threats posed by artificial intelligence, as fears grow that the technology could pose an existential threat to humanity.
The delegations also discussed trade, seeking to ease tensions ahead of a truce deal set to expire in November. Meanwhile, France and Canada are seeking to deepen ties concerning energy and critical minerals.