Trump and Xi Jinping to Meet November 18–19: Could U.S.-China AI Cooperation Change Global Technology?
Two of the world’s most powerful leaders are about to sit down in China’s biggest tech hub. The technology they’ll be discussing is one neither country fully controls.
The Meeting at a Glance
Trump told reporters he will travel to China for the APEC summit, set for November 18-19 in Shenzhen. It would be the third face-to-face meeting between Trump and Xi this year.
How We Got Here
Trump made a state visit to Beijing in May, and Xi visited Washington in September. In New York, the US proposed an AI incident alert system for events that count as national security threats.
After the Washington summit, both sides agreed to set up a channel for handling AI-related incidents. Still, no AI agreement was signed.
What’s on the Table in Shenzhen
Behind the scenes, technical teams aim to make AI cooperation a potential deliverable when the two presidents meet. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said officials from both countries would hold further AI talks in Shenzhen.
One big topic is off the menu. Export controls on advanced AI chips were specifically not part of the talks on the AI mechanism. Meanwhile, the US-China trade truce has been extended to January 10.
Why Ordinary People Should Care
Think of the AI channel as a hotline. If an AI system causes a serious problem, both governments would have a way to talk before it escalates.
Xi told Trump that AI must stay under human control, according to China’s foreign ministry. Those are broad words, but they show both sides at least talk about the same worry.
What Experts Are Saying
Analysts are cautious. George Chen of The Asia Group expects future talks to reach sensitive topics such as AI weaponization, safety principles, infrastructure protection and cyberattack prevention, though low mutual trust will limit cooperation.
An Al Jazeera analyst argued that keeping the dialogue going is perhaps the biggest deliverable for both sides.
The Wildcard: A Three-Way Summit
AI may not be the only headline. Trump wants a trilateral meeting with Putin and Xi to discuss nuclear weapons. Putin has also suggested a meeting focused on ending the war in Ukraine. A crowded agenda could push AI down the list.
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