"Trump-Xi Summit": China Agrees to Intergovernmental Dialogue on AI Regulation

(CNA, Taipei, May 19) Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated today that during US President Trump's visit to China, the heads of state of the two countries held a constructive exchange on the issue of artificial intelligence (AI) and agreed to launch a US-China intergovernmental dialogue on AI. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had previously said that the US and China would discuss how to establish safety regulations for the development of artificial intelligence (AI). The Chinese Foreign Ministry held a regular press conference in the afternoon. According to CCTV News, a media outlet asked for China's comment on the exchange between the two leaders on AI regulation during the "Trump-Xi summit" and their agreement to initiate dialogue and cooperation. Guo Jiakun said that as two major AI powers, China and the US should work together to promote the development and governance of AI, and push for AI to better serve the progress of human civilization and the common well-being of the international community. The "China-US Artificial Intelligence (AI) Intergovernmental Dialogue" was formed during the administration of then-US President Joe Biden. It is an intergovernmental communication mechanism established based on the consensus reached by both sides during the foreign ministers' meeting on April 26, 2024, aimed at coordinating AI technology cooperation and global governance. Subsequently, the first meeting of this dialogue mechanism was held in Geneva, Switzerland on May 14, 2024. The Chinese side was led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the US side was led by the White House National Security Council and the Department of State, with representatives from multiple agencies from both sides attending. However, the two sides have not held a meeting since. In recent years, competition between the US and China in the AI field has become increasingly fierce, even showing a trend of evolving into a strategic game. Currently, the United States still has a significant advantage in the innovation of top-tier AI models; China, on the other hand, is catching up quickly with state support, industrial integration, and open-source technology, leading the US to eagerly seek to block China to maintain its advantage, while China strives for breakthroughs and to surpass the US. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mentioned on the 14th that the US and China will discuss how to establish safety regulations for the development of artificial intelligence (AI). Scott Bessent said in an interview with the American financial news network CNBC: "The good news is that the United States is undoubtedly leading the world in this regard, and we have the top AI companies. The two major AI superpowers are about to start a dialogue, and we will establish a set of regulatory mechanisms to promote the best practices of AI, ensuring that such advanced AI models do not fall into the hands of non-state actors." (Editors: Chiu Kuo-chiang / Tang Pei-chun) 1150519