Bessent hails 'very successful' China talks, sets AI dialogue

The New York talks brought U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent together with China's Vice Premier He Lifeng and other officials for hours of discussions that covered artificial intelligence, trade and investment. Bessent described the talks as 'very successful,' and the concrete result he pointed to was an agreement to set up a dialogue on AI aimed at reaching a common understanding on goals and threats. The U.S. side also proposed a notification mechanism between the two countries, which Bessent said would be called the 'U.S.-China AI dialogue.'

The talks did not end there: top Chinese trade negotiator Li Chenggang said the discussions were held in a good atmosphere, and a working group would continue discussions on Monday. The two sides also plan to meet again. The meeting comes ahead of a summit between leaders Donald Trump and Xi Jinping later this week, when Trump is scheduled to host Xi at the White House in the Chinese leader's first state visit to Washington in more than a decade.

What the AI dialogue ultimately delivers may hinge on whether the working group's continued discussions and the planned follow-up meeting turn the stated shared vision into concrete arrangements. For now, the body offers no details on what specific goals or threats the two sides might agree on, so the practical effect of the dialogue on AI policy or cross-border AI work remains to be seen.