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Trump, Xi Discuss AI Safety Definitions and Emergency Channel

By Drooid · Sep 23, 2026, 2:59 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

US China AI Safety

The United States and China could adopt shared AI safety definitions and an emergency channel for high-risk incidents.
Chinese firms accessed advanced AI chips via Southeast Asian data centers despite export bans.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said chip-control measures were omitted from the weekend’s preliminary talks.
Chris McGuire of the Council on Foreign Relations called the modest reporting channel a positive step.

Summary

Trump Meets Xi

U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews on Sept. 23.
They sought to extend the Busan trade truce and create a Board of Trade.
Beijing warned that Taiwan remains a red-line issue, sidelining the island in talks.
A state dinner for Xi will host U.S. CEOs despite no Chinese business visas being filed.
Wall Street rose, with the S&P 500 up 1.5% and Nasdaq up 2.3%.

History

Historical Context

In February 1972 President Richard Nixon’s visit to Beijing produced the Shanghai Communiqué, signed on February 27 after Henry Kissinger and Premier Zhou Enlai negotiated seven drafts and 25 hours of talks. The document’s pledge of non-interference and mutual respect for sovereignty set a framework that today U.S. trade officials and Chinese leaders invoke while shaping AI-safety negotiations, even as Taiwan remains a contentious flashpoint.

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US China AI Safety

The United States and China could adopt shared AI safety definitions and an emergency channel for high-risk incidents.
Chinese firms accessed advanced AI chips via Southeast Asian data centers despite export bans.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said chip-control measures were omitted from the weekend’s preliminary talks.
Chris McGuire of the Council on Foreign Relations called the modest reporting channel a positive step.

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