The U.S. and China have agreed to create a formal bilateral AI dialogue that will include a notification mechanism to flag AI incidents with national security implications, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said after meeting Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York. Bessent called the talks "very successful," and officials expect to meet again in about two months to advance the plan. The move responds to growing calls from researchers and executives for international coordination on AI safety, while Chinese officials cautioned against what they called "fearmongering."
U.S. and China Agree To Formal AI Dialogue With Incident Notification Mechanism
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks next to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer (R) during a media briefing after a meeting with China's Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said U.S. and Chinese officials agreed to establish a formal bilateral AI dialogue and discussed creating a notification mechanism to flag AI safety incidents that could pose national security risks. The announcement followed his meeting in New York with Chinese Vice Premier and lead trade negotiator He Lifeng, held ahead of President Xi Jinping's planned visit.
Bessent described the talks at JPMorgan Chase's New York headquarters as "very successful" and said the proposed mechanism would be used to surface and communicate incidents that rise to a national-security level. He added that both countries see value in moving cross-border AI activity "from opaque to more transparent" between the world's two leading AI powers.
When asked about timing, the Treasury secretary did not offer a firm schedule but told the Financial Times the two sides will "likely meet again in two months" as they work to formalize the dialogue and notification processes.
Observers say the talks come amid mounting calls from AI researchers and industry leaders for greater U.S.-China coordination on AI safety, including proposals to slow or better govern frontier development. Last week, several prominent AI executives and researchers issued stark warnings about risks from advanced models—prompting responses from Chinese officials who cautioned against alarmism.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun urged an "open, inclusive and benevolent approach to AI," warning that "fearmongering, confrontation and vicious competition" would harm global governance efforts.
State-run Xinhua described the meetings as "candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges" that covered important economic and trade issues and noted that AI-related topics were discussed. The talks signal a rare, concrete step toward practical cooperation on technology governance between the two countries, even as tensions remain on other fronts.
Originally published on Forbes.com.
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