Washington Proposes AI Notification Channel
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that Washington has proposed to Beijing a system for flagging artificial intelligence matters tied to national security. The idea was floated as last-minute arrangements were underway only days ahead of a leaders' summit. Under the envisioned arrangement, Bessent explained, one side would be alerted when incidents occur, such as anything involving AI that escalates into a national security matter.[S1]
Bessent made the case that the two AI powers, like participants in any other kind of cross-border undertaking, should shift away from secrecy and toward openness. He added that Washington seeks to hold a shared vision of common goals and common threats with Beijing. The treasury secretary spoke to reporters after holding talks on trade in New York with a Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier He Lifeng.[S1]
Trade Talks Precede State Visit
Bessent, joined by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, described the talks at JP Morgan Chase's headquarters in Manhattan as a very successful engagement with the Chinese team. Greer said the two sides were helping Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping continue their relationship, describing the US and China as the two most powerful countries on earth in trade and AI, and stressing that it is imperative they work together. He added that challenges in the relationship remain, without detailing the discussions with senior Chinese officials, and noted that US export controls were not on the agenda.[S1]
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to reach Washington late on Wednesday afternoon, marking his first trip there in 11 years. The state visit runs three days and comes after Trump traveled to Beijing in mid-May. Among the leading items on the agenda when Xi meets Trump the next day are a possible extension of the trade truce between the two nations and AI safety.[S1]
