Beijing calls for deeper US–China cooperation on AI governance amid rising tech rivalry

China and the United States should work together to advance artificial intelligence governance and development, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday, underscoring a rare area of potential coordination between the two global competitors in advanced technology.

Guo said that AI was discussed by US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during recent talks in Beijing. Despite ongoing strategic and economic tensions, both sides reportedly agreed that managing the risks of artificial intelligence requires structured dialogue.

According to Guo, the two leaders held “constructive discussions” on AI-related issues and agreed to establish an intergovernmental dialogue mechanism focused on artificial intelligence. The remarks align with earlier comments from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who confirmed that both sides are preparing a formal channel for AI discussions.

Shared concerns over AI risks

Officials and analysts on both sides have increasingly highlighted overlapping concerns about the risks posed by rapidly advancing AI systems, including autonomous weapons, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and the potential misuse of AI in biological or chemical weapon design.

At previous high-level discussions in 2024, Chinese leader Xi and then US President Joe Biden reportedly agreed on the principle that humans must retain control over nuclear launch decisions an early sign of limited convergence on AI-related security norms.

Cooperation constrained by strategic rivalry

Despite these signals of engagement, US–China competition in AI remains intense. The United States has accused Chinese entities of large-scale efforts to acquire or steal advanced technologies, while China has taken steps to restrict foreign access to certain domestically developed AI tools and technologies.

At the same time, global concerns about AI misuse have also emerged within the US tech sector. The AI company Anthropic recently drew attention after reportedly withholding a powerful model from public release due to concerns it could be exploited for cyberattacks or other malicious use.

US officials have also warned about the risk of non-state actors gaining access to frontier AI systems. Bessent said the two countries are expected to establish a “protocol” to reduce such risks, particularly to prevent advanced models from being accessed by hackers or criminal groups.

Emerging framework for dialogue

According to Bessent, Washington and Beijing are preparing structured communication channels, describing the two countries as “AI superpowers” that must begin sustained dialogue on shared risks and governance standards.

While details remain limited, experts say the scope of talks could extend beyond security issues. Sun Chenghao, a senior fellow at Tsinghua University Center for International Security and Strategy, said future discussions may cover broader social and economic impacts of AI, including labor market disruption and youth employment.

He noted that although competition will continue, AI’s global reach makes some level of cooperation unavoidable, given its impact on governments, societies, and businesses worldwide.

Outlook

However, politically sensitive issues such as export controls on advanced US semiconductor chips critical for training AI models are likely to be handled separately, in order to preserve momentum in technical and security-focused discussions.

For now, the emerging dialogue reflects a cautious shift: intense strategic rivalry remains, but both Washington and Beijing appear increasingly aware that AI governance may require at least limited coordination to manage shared risks.

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