US, China ramp up summit preparations

US President Donald Trump and China’s leader Xi Jinping are set to meet as they arrive in Washington, DC for their upcoming summit, marking the first time a leader has been greeted in such a manner during Trump’s second term. Diplomats from both countries engaged in discussions on Thursday, with the agenda expected to focus on trade issues, artificial intelligence governance, and defense ties.

While Washington has indicated a willingness to address shared risks associated with AI, experts doubt that significant breakthroughs will be achieved. Discussions may also cover strengthening military-to-military ties and resuming arms-control talks, which were suspended in 2024 following US arms sales to Taiwan. Asian allies are wary that Trump might compromise US support for Taiwan in exchange for economic benefits.

Brief written by urgent.news from Semafor's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.