China skeptical of AI safety calls
The gist
The U.S. proposed a US-China AI incident notification mechanism in New York talks.
Beijing's tight control over its own tech makes AI doomsday warnings feel remote.
How it unfolded
- May 2026Trump and Xi first discussed potential consultations on AI development in Beijing, but that forum was never formalized.
- Sep 20, 2026U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said after talks in New York with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng that the two countries discussed setting up a mechanism on AI dialogue and proposed a new notification mechanism for AI incidents that could impact national security.
- Sep 21, 2026Bessent proposed US-China AI safety notifications in talks with the Chinese vice premier; He and China's chief trade negotiator Li Chenggang left the talks at JPMorgan Chase headquarters in New York without speaking to media.