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Beijing Confirms Intergovernmental AI Dialogue with Washington After Trump-Xi Summit

Press conference by China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun on May 19
May 19, 2026 06:28 PM IST | Written by Mithun MK | Edited by Vaibhav Jha

China’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping agreed to open an intergovernmental dialogue on artificial intelligence during their Beijing summit last week. 

This marks as the first public acknowledgement to date of a commitment that both sides had previously signalled informally on AI dominance race.

The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun, at a press conference on May 19, said the two leaders held “constructive discussions” on AI during Trump’s visit and agreed to conduct  government-to government talks on the technology. “As two major AI powers, China and the United States should work together to promote the development and governance of AI,” Guo said, according to a transcript published by the ministry. 

The confirmation follows remarks by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on May 14, in which he told CNBC the two countries would establish a protocol on best practices for AI “to make sure nonstate actors don’t get a hold of these models.” 

Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One after departing Beijing on May 15, said he had discussed “possibly working together for guardrails” on AI but offered no specifics on scope or timeline.

Interestingly, White House had released a fact sheet on May 17 following the summit, but it made no mention of AI related discussions. 

The two countries held a previous AI safety dialogue under the Biden administration in 2024. That round produced limited outcomes with the US side focused on shared safety risks while China side pressed on semiconductor export controls.

Neither government has named a lead agency, format, or timeline for the plans for new dialogue.

Also Read: Anthropic Warns China Could Close AI gap by 2028, as Trump meets Xi in Beijing

Authors

  • Mithun MK Special Correspondent with AI FrontPage

    Mithun MK is a Special Correspondent at AI FrontPage. He brings over six years of investigative reporting on technology, surveillance, digital rights, and governance at The News Minute and The New Indian Express. He is trained in cross-border investigative methods with OCCRP, alongside reporters from Southeast Asia, and brings both reporting depth and technical fluency to AI FrontPage's coverage of the global AI industry.

    LinkedIn
  • Vaibhav Jha, editor and co-founder at AI FrontPage

    Vaibhav Jha is an Editor and Co-founder of AI FrontPage. In his decade long career in journalism, Vaibhav has reported for publications including The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, and The New York Times, covering the intersection of technology, policy, and society. Outside work, he’s usually trying to persuade people to watch Anurag Kashyap films.

    LinkedIn

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