US and China Seek Common Ground on AI Safety in Washington Talks

US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to meet in Washington this week amid rising concerns about AI safety, as the two rival nations compete for dominance in the technology. Both sides have expressed interest in finding common ground on shared risks. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said after talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng that the two countries discussed setting up an AI dialogue mechanism and proposed a notification system for AI incidents impacting national security. Experts say cooperation is possible on areas like AI-enabled cyberattacks and critical infrastructure threats. US export controls on advanced chips have not stopped China from developing competitive AI models, though they slow expansion. US accusations of Chinese "distillation" of American AI technology remain a sore spot, while Beijing has voiced concerns about US AI threats to its infrastructure.