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Bessent Says U.S. Is Open to Discussing Shared AI Risks With China

September 16, 2026 at 13:41 EDT

Policy & Regulation
Security
Foundation Models

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington is open to discussing shared artificial-intelligence risks with China during upcoming talks, creating a narrow opening for cooperation even as the two countries remain locked in a broader race for AI leadership. The talks are expected to precede President Donald Trump’s September 24 meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with Bessent also set to meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York on Sunday as negotiators work through disputes over AI competition, rare earths and the trade truce.

September 16, 2026 · U.S.-China AI talks

A narrow opening on shared AI risk

Washington is signaling willingness to discuss common AI dangers with Beijing while keeping the broader competition over models, chips and influence firmly in place.

Summit date

Sep 24

Trump-Xi meeting

Named developers

Chinese AI firms in a U.S. advisory

Review window

30 days

Voluntary pre-release model review discussed in U.S. policy

The risk channel is small, but measurable

governments at the table

developers named in the dispute

The diplomatic opening is happening against a larger conflict over model access and alleged distillation.

Why it could work

Both countries face shared exposure to cyber misuse, biological-weapons assistance and unreliable advanced systems.

Why it may stall

Strategic rivalry and accusations over model distillation make trust and verification difficult.

Likely first steps

Technical risk talks→Incident alerts→Safety evaluations→Narrow misuse limits

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