{
  "id": 8707332,
  "title": "US, China seek Xi-Trump summit deliverables in New York talks",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/us-china-seek-xi-trump-summit-deliverables-in-new-york-talks-8707332",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-20T14:34:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368171/us-china-seek-xi-trump-summit-deliverables-new-york-talks"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng concluded their final preparatory talks in New York ahead of the upcoming summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Washington. The leaders will convene at JP Morgan’s headquarters to discuss potential economic outcomes for the summit and commence their long-awaited dialogue on artificial intelligence (AI) safety and governance. This is the third meeting between Bessent and He, mirroring similar discussions held in May prior to Trump's visit to Beijing.\n\nLast week, the South China Morning Post reported that AI discussions would be integrated into the broader economic meeting. In May, both leaders agreed to establish an intergovernmental dialogue on AI, which ran in parallel with economic talks led by Bessent and He for several months. However, the AI channel has faced challenges due to differing perspectives on the meeting's agenda and scope. The United States advocates for narrow focus on AI safety and associated risks, while China favors a more comprehensive conversation on global AI governance.\n\nBessent elaborated on the AI safety debate on Tuesday, highlighting the tension between addressing concerns about the risks posed by increasingly powerful AI systems and preserving US competitiveness with China in the race for AI leadership. Trump dismissed growing concerns about AI last Monday, claiming that America already has adequate guardrails to regulate the industry and warning that questioning development would benefit China. He emphasized that \"the only control or 'guardrails' that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!\"\n\nThe US has repeatedly criticized China for allowing Chinese AI companies to distill technology from US models, alleging \"aggressive, malicious and targeted distillation activities at an industrial scale\" conducted with possible government knowledge. Three US agencies accused leading Chinese AI companies of engaging in such practices last week. The Chinese embassy in Washington dismissed these allegations, stating that model distillation is a common technical practice used by AI developers globally, including US companies.\n\nThe bilateral discussions have emerged amid competing US and Chinese strategies for shaping the global AI landscape. The United States is advancing its Pax Silica AI supply chain initiative, while China promotes the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation. Both sides have discussed possible outcomes, including the operationalization of the US-China Board of Trade and the selection of sectors under the mechanism. They have also exchanged views on extending the Busan trade deal, which is likely to be extended, though Washington is not expected to push for a breakthrough at the upcoming meeting.",
  "summary": "US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held their final preparatory talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York on Sunday to work out deliverables for next week’s summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Washington. The leaders are meeting at JP Morgan’s headquarters in the city to discuss possible economic…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
        "title": "US, China seek Xi-Trump summit deliverables in New York talks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/us-china-seek-xi-trump-summit-deliverables-in-new-york-talks",
        "published": "2026-09-20T14:34:25.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}