US and China to hold first government AI talks in September

The United States and China are preparing to hold their first official government-level dialogue on artificial intelligence in September, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. The talks, a direct outcome of the summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in May, are expected to take place ahead of Xi's planned visit to the United States on September 24.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is anticipated to lead the American delegation, while the full list of participants, the agenda, and the location remain under discussion. Neither government has publicly confirmed the plans. The dialogue would mark the first such formal AI talks under the Trump administration, following a single working-level meeting held during the previous U.S. administration.

The planned discussions occur amid intense competition between the two nations over advanced AI development, export controls on semiconductors, and the broader push to shape global governance standards for the technology. Officials and analysts expect the initial talks to focus on technical and safety issues, including foundational definitions of frontier AI models and shared concerns about...