US and China officials meet in New York ahead of Trump-Xi summit on trade and AI

US and Chinese officials met in New York on Monday to prepare for a summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, focusing on trade, artificial intelligence, and the Iran war. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Vice Premier He Lifeng led the talks. The discussions aim to maintain a fragile trade truce, set to expire in November, which lowered tariffs and export restrictions. An announcement on new US tariffs has been delayed until after the meeting, while both sides work to ease barriers on $30 billion in products. AI has emerged as a new flashpoint, with US officials accusing Chinese firms of copying American models, a claim Beijing rejects. Bessent expressed openness to discussions on avoiding shared risks, while China has vowed retaliation if Washington targets its AI companies.