President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have agreed to establish a dedicated communication channel focused on artificial intelligence incidents following their summit in Washington. The two countries also agreed to continue work on trade and military communications.
Xi returned to Beijing on Saturday following the state visit, according to Chinese state media. The visit included meetings at the White House and a state dinner hosted by Trump and first lady Melania Trump.
The White House said the United States and China agreed to establish a bilateral communication channel for AI incidents that could threaten national security. The two countries plan to designate points of contact who can communicate directly when serious AI-related incidents occur.
The agreement comes as the United States and China compete to develop increasingly powerful artificial intelligence systems. Both countries have also expressed concern about maintaining human control over advanced AI.
Xi said during his visit that AI development should remain under human control. Trump has repeatedly emphasized that the United States should continue developing the technology quickly and maintain its lead over China.
Trump has also promoted the term “super intelligence” instead of “artificial intelligence.” He has argued that the word “artificial” makes the technology sound fake and does not accurately describe its capabilities.
The White House said Trump and Xi agreed during their discussions to use the term “super intelligence.” Trump had already used the term publicly before the summit, including during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly.
Trump also said the United States would not slow down its progress in developing advanced AI. He has argued that the country is ahead of China in the technology race and should protect that advantage.
The two countries also agreed to accelerate work on military crisis communications. The United States and China plan to sign a memorandum of understanding designed to improve communication between their militaries during emergencies.
The military agreement is intended to reduce the risk that an accident or misunderstanding could lead to a larger confrontation. Military tensions between the two countries remain particularly important in the Indo-Pacific region and around Taiwan.
Trade was another major subject during Xi’s visit. U.S. and Chinese officials agreed to extend their existing tariff truce by two months while negotiations continue on a broader economic agreement.
The extension gives both governments additional time to negotiate without returning to the much higher tariffs that marked earlier stages of their trade dispute.
The United States and China are also moving forward with a Board of Trade. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the board would focus on a relatively small group of goods that both countries believe should be protected from broader trade disputes.
The Board of Trade was discussed before the Washington summit and is part of the wider effort to stabilize economic relations between the two countries.
Trump and Xi also discussed Iran. The White House said both leaders agreed that Iran should not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.
Fentanyl was another subject of the talks. China agreed to impose export controls on two additional chemicals used in the production of fentanyl. The United States has repeatedly pressed Beijing to restrict chemicals that can be used to manufacture the powerful synthetic opioid.
The summit took place in Washington, D.C., where Trump gave Xi a high-profile welcome. Trump personally greeted Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan when they arrived at Joint Base Andrews before the formal White House events.
Xi attended an arrival ceremony at the White House before holding talks with Trump. The visit also included a state dinner attended by government officials and major business and technology leaders.
Xi said during the state dinner that the two leaders had held sincere and in-depth discussions and had reached common understandings on a number of issues.
The summit did not resolve the major disputes between Washington and Beijing. The two countries remain divided over trade, advanced technology, Taiwan and other security issues.
However, the new AI communication channel and work on military crisis communications provide additional ways for officials from the two countries to communicate during potentially dangerous situations.
The agreements represent an effort by Washington and Beijing to manage their competition while maintaining direct communication between the world’s two largest economies.
IMAGE: President Donald Trump participates in a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Gimhae International Airport terminal Author The White House CC0