President Trump to decide US-China AI hotline this week

Trump to Decide on AI Hotline

President Donald Trump will decide this week whether to approve a U.S.-China agreement establishing a direct artificial intelligence hotline, sources said. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent plans to present the agreement to Trump before the president meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington.

The proposed hotline would let both governments directly report AI-related incidents, including hacking, national security threats, rogue artificial intelligence systems, or other dangerous developments, officials said.

Xi begins an official state visit to the United States on September 23, his first Washington trip in a decade. He will hold talks with Trump at the White House on September 24 and attend a state dinner that evening.

The visit runs from September 23 to September 25 at Trump's invitation and includes an arrival ceremony, several formal meetings, and the state dinner in Washington.

Prominent technology executives from OpenAI, Google, and Nvidia are expected to attend the state dinner for Xi on Thursday evening in Washington, according to media reports.

Trade Truce and AI Competition

The AI hotline talks unfold as Washington and Beijing seek firmer channels to manage their ongoing trade, technology, and security disputes amid intense global economic rivalry.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States is open to extending the trade truce that expires on November 10. He also said Beijing raised the idea of a larger trade deal during weekend talks with U.S. officials in New York.

Bessent, Vice Premier He Lifeng, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met Sunday in New York to prepare possible trade and AI agreements for the two leaders.

China's response to the AI hotline plan remained unclear, and news agency Xinhua said only that the two sides discussed AI. Analysts expect low chances for major AI cooperation because neither side has shown interest in slowing its own rapid development.

U.S. officials worry advanced AI could strengthen China's cyberattacks or help it break military codes, increasing further pressure for tighter American chip export restrictions on Beijing.

Trade Data, Aircraft, and Next Steps

U.S. goods exports to China reached $65.2 billion from January through July 2026, while imports reached $156.4 billion, according to official bilateral trade data released recently.

Two-way goods trade between the two nations over those seven months stood at about $221.6 billion, highlighting deep economic ties despite their ongoing fierce strategic rivalry.

Negotiators have discussed a Board of Trade and reciprocal tariff cuts covering up to $30 billion of goods in each direction. China also agreed to buy at least $17 billion a year in U.S. agricultural products, adding to an earlier soybean commitment.

China agreed earlier this year to purchase 200 aircraft, but Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg said this month that Chinese airlines would announce orders on their own schedules.

The countries are expected to meet again in about two months, probably in Shenzhen, to discuss serious AI and security risks. Possible future talks may include dangerous uncontrollable AI agents, cyberattacks by nonstate actors, and the use of AI in bioweapons.