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China’s Commerce Ministry confirmed Thursday that senior Chinese and U.S. trade negotiators held their first talks on artificial intelligence, opening a new channel of discussion hours before Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump were scheduled to meet in Washington, D.C.

Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yadong told reporters that representatives from both countries also discussed plans to reduce tariffs and extend trade arrangements reached in Kuala Lumpur last October.

The discussions involved Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The two officials met in New York during the runup to the summit between Xi and Trump, according to the account provided by the ministry.

The confirmation placed artificial intelligence alongside tariffs and trade arrangements as a central issue in the latest discussions between Beijing and Washington.

Both countries are weighing how to handle risks associated with rapidly advancing technology.

As Xi arrived in the U.S., Bessent told Fox News on Wednesday that the two countries had agreed to extend their trade truce until January. The truce was originally reached in October 2025.

That arrangement kept tariffs lower while limiting China’s export controls on rare earths.

Those materials are critical components used in semiconductors, numerous household goods, and defense products.

Earlier in the week, Bessent said negotiators had discussed creating an AI dialogue between the two countries.

They also considered establishing a mechanism that would allow each government to alert the other about risks involving AI.

China’s confirmation came only hours before Xi and Trump were expected to begin talks in Washington, D.C., during Xi’s state visit.

Trump separately said in an early Thursday Truth Social post that artificial intelligence would be a subject of the leaders’ discussions.

“A big day with President Xi of China. Super Intelligence (SI) will be a big topic of discussion, but I want to leave it exactly where it is.

That is China’s position also. Our guardrail is the DOJ!” Trump wrote.

The president has repeatedly voiced opposition to additional AI regulation. Speaking to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump reiterated that approach by saying, “We’re going to encourage it, not rein it in.”

China’s Commerce Ministry characterized the discussions between the countries as constructive and candid. It also said the two sides had reached multiple points of consensus during the exchange.

The talks connected two major areas of negotiation, with trade officials considering tariff reductions and an extension of existing arrangements while also addressing artificial intelligence. The discussions represented the first AI talks between senior negotiators from the two countries.

The existing truce has held down tariffs and restrained Chinese export controls on rare earths since the October 2025 agreement. Bessent’s comments indicated that the arrangement would remain in effect until January.

At the same time, recent incidents involving AI systems have fueled concerns about increasingly autonomous models.

Those fears include the possibility that attacks involving such systems could become faster and more difficult to contain.

The proposed AI dialogue would give Washington and Beijing a dedicated avenue for discussing those risks.

The alert mechanism discussed by negotiators would provide a way for the two sides to notify each other about AI dangers.

With Xi and Trump preparing for direct talks, both governments had publicly acknowledged that AI would be on the agenda.

The Commerce Ministry’s confirmation also showed that senior trade officials had already started discussions involving the technology, tariffs, and the future of the trade truce.

DISCLAIMER: GoldInvestors.news is not a registered investment, legal or tax advisor or broker/dealer. All investment/financial opinions expressed by GoldInvestors.news are from the personal research and experience of the owner of the site and are intended as educational material. Although best efforts are made to ensure that all information is accurate and up to date, occasionally unintended errors and misprints may occur.