Why the U.S. Must Simultaneously Compete—and Cooperate—With China on AI

Last week, President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House. Their second meeting this year, following a summit in Beijing, came amid heightened security incidents reported by numerous AI companies. The leading AI labs are debating whether to pace their development of frontier models, and the government is determining the role it should play in this decision.

This reporter, who spent four years as Secretary of Commerce focusing on America's economic, technological, and security competition with China, has insight into China's perspective on AI. While companies may want to pace the frontier, the U.S. must stay ahead of China to protect national interests. Cooperation with China is necessary, as both countries have similar incentives for AI safety.

China's State Security Minister recently stated that advanced AI's greatest risk to China is the risk it poses to the Chinese Communist Party's stability. The Treasury Secretary's announcement of an AI dialogue with Chinese counterparts is a sign that China sees potential for cooperation. Despite skepticism towards Chinese leaders, establishing a dialogue and communication channels is crucial.

This dialogue should involve experts from both nations and include verification mechanisms to ensure agreements work. The U.S. should also continue vigilantly updating export controls on advanced chips and addressing China's access to controlled compute. Collaboration on AI safety is essential, as both countries face significant risks from AI's rapid advancement.

While China has made progress on its "Made in China 2025" plan, the U.S. AI labs should allocate more resources to identifying and exposing Chinese AI activities. Only through managing relationships with China can safe AI deployment be achieved.