U.S. Proposes AI Safety Alert System with China Ahead of Summit

The United States has proposed establishing a bilateral AI safety notification mechanism with China, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Sunday following daylong discussions with Chinese officials in New York.

The proposal, which will be presented to President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at their Thursday summit in Washington, would create a formal channel for the two nations to alert each other about AI-related incidents that could affect national security.

"We think that just like with any cross-border activity, that moving from opaque to more transparency between the number one and the number two AI powers in the world is very important," Bessent told reporters after the talks. He indicated both sides had agreed to continue discussions on the AI issue.

Why it matters

As AI capabilities advance rapidly, the absence of communication channels between the world's dominant AI powers creates risks that neither nation can manage alone. A notification system could help prevent AI-related incidents from escalating into broader conflicts, though deep mistrust between Washington and Beijing makes meaningful cooperation uncertain.

AI Takes Center Stage at Trump-Xi Meeting

Artificial intelligence is expected to feature prominently when Trump and Xi meet, particularly following warnings from U.S. AI leaders that the technology could pose existential threats within years. Trump has dismissed such concerns as a "hoax" while simultaneously agreeing with executives like Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei that the U.S. cannot allow China to gain an AI advantage.

The proposed dialogue would not affect existing U.S. export controls on advanced chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment that have constrained Chinese AI development, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer clarified.

Experts caution against expecting major AI agreements from the summit, citing high distrust levels between the nations. China has interpreted calls to slow AI development as attempts to limit its technological progress.

Trade Issues Dominate Broader Agenda

Beyond AI, the New York talks addressed trade matters ahead of the summit. Bessent and Greer said both sides agreed to operationalize a new "Board of Trade" announced during Trump's May visit to Beijing and are exploring lower tariffs on "non-sensitive" products.

Potential items include Chinese consumer goods and low-tech products, plus U.S. exports of energy, agricultural goods, and medical devices. However, officials did not specify whether tariff reductions would occur immediately or only apply to future duties.

A critical question remains whether Trump and Xi will extend a fragile trade truce set to expire November 10.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and chief trade negotiator Li Chenggang did not comment to reporters after the talks at JPMorganChase headquarters. A Chinese readout published by state-run Xinhua news agency mentioned AI discussions but did not reference the U.S. notification proposal.

Details of the proposed AI safety mechanism were first reported by NBC News.