Trump Rejects Joint AI Development with China, Citing National Security Risks

President Donald Trump has definitively ruled out any joint venture with China on artificial intelligence, arguing that such collaboration would amount to handing over sensitive technological secrets to America’s primary economic rival.

Speaking at a Washington event Tuesday marking the launch of America.gov—a new AI-powered platform designed to streamline government services—Trump insisted the United States holds a commanding lead in the sector and has no intention of relinquishing that advantage. “We’re leading by a lot,” he stated. “Frankly, there is nobody in third place… it’s all between us and China.”

The president warned that cooperation would allow Beijing immediate access to proprietary U.S. advancements. “If we do that, we’re going to be giving a lot of secrets that we have that they would want to have, or anybody else,” Trump said. “Then they’re going to be able to immediately gain access to things that we know that they don’t know… we’re leading now over China and everyone else, and I want to keep it that way.”

His remarks come just days after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the White House, during which the two nations announced the establishment of a new AI dialogue—with further talks scheduled for November—and a dedicated communications channel to prevent misunderstandings stemming from AI-related incidents. Despite these diplomatic overtures, Trump confirmed he remains steadfast against joint development efforts, noting the topic arose during his meeting with Xi but yielded no shift in his position.

Prior to the summit, China’s foreign ministry had cautioned that “narratives of threat” and confrontation hinder effective global AI governance.

Domestically, the administration faces mounting public pressure for stricter safeguards. A Politico poll conducted in late September found that two-thirds of Americans believe there is at least a “moderate” risk AI could destroy humanity, while 44% of Trump supporters favored pausing development altogether. The president has repeatedly dismissed such safety concerns, labeling them a “hoax” and comparing them to what he describes as the “global warming scam” perpetrated by his political opponents.

Trump also argued against imposing restrictions on the technology that might stifle future growth, maintaining that unfettered innovation is essential to maintaining the U.S. lead.

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