US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York for discussions covering artificial intelligence, trade, and investment. Bessent described the talks as "very successful" and announced that the two nations agreed to create a dialogue on AI, aiming to foster a shared understanding of its goals and potential threats. The two sides plan to meet again to continue these discussions.
These high-level meetings serve as a prelude to an upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Trump-Xi summit is expected to address the growing economic rivalry between the two superpowers, with AI identified as a central point of contention. Both leaders recognize AI's significance, as evidenced by Trump's recent statement, "whoever wins AI, wins."
Despite the agreement to establish an AI dialogue, some analysts express skepticism about the potential for substantial progress. Former Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell suggested that meaningful advancements might be delayed until future meetings, possibly at APEC or the G20, due to mutual distrust between the two nations. The current talks highlight the challenge of balancing cooperation and competition in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
