US and China agree on AI safety channel, trade talks, and military communications

China and the U.S. agreed Saturday to establish a channel for handling AI-related incidents and accelerate military crisis communications following a three-day summit in Washington, with both sides issuing statements confirming the steps. The two nations also activated a Board of Trade on selected bilateral issues and extended a trade truce by two months, with China pledging to import at least 10 million metric tons of U.S. coal in 2027 and 2028. An AI-specific dialogue is scheduled for November. The summit produced no major breakthroughs on fundamental differences, but analysts said the incremental cooperation was significant for institutionalizing stability. Both sides agreed to meet again at the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November and the G20 in Florida, and jointly urged Iran to honor its nuclear commitments.