Trump and Xi Summit Produces Modest AI Dialogue Amid Ongoing Strategic Divergence

Over the better part of three days, President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington for a summit that drew international attention for its high-stakes agenda, from trade and artificial intelligence to Taiwan. While some experts viewed the gathering as an exercise in delaying difficult decisions, others highlighted the significance of Trump engaging Xi as an equal on the world stage.

Sam Bresnick, Research Fellow and Andrew W. Marshall Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, noted that the Xi‑Trump summit yielded little progress on AI. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng agreed to establish an AI risk dialogue and a national security incident notification mechanism. However, the notification mechanism is unlikely to be useful given China’s limited transparency during crises. Binding mutual regulations remain off the table.

The modest outcome is unsurprising. President Trump continues to push for rapid AI advancement despite warnings from Silicon Valley. General Secretary Xi emphasized the importance of keeping AI under human control, yet China suspects U.S. safety rhetoric is intended to cement its secondary status. Beijing remains optimistic about managing near‑term AI risks. With neither side interested in slowing development, the new dialogue offers the best chance for mutual understanding on safety issues.

Zack Cooper, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, summed up the summit as “pageantry and procrastination.” The pageantry was evident from the planeside welcome Trump gave Xi, mirroring the reception he received in Beijing. For a three‑day visit, the schedule left little room for substantive discussions, a feature that suited both leaders’ preferences.

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