On 18/9, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Chinese Vice Premier Ha Lap Phong, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer would meet in New York on 20/9. Reuters, citing close sources, reported that Bessent is expected to discuss artificial intelligence (AI), trade, rare earths, and other economic matters with Chinese representatives.
These discussions are crucial, as China and the United States are currently the two major players in the global AI wave. Rare earths also play an important role in manufacturing products for AI.
Following the officials' meeting, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Tap Can Binh are scheduled to hold a summit in Washington on 24/9.
Bessent confirmed in a statement that he and Ha would discuss AI, specifically mentioning "both open-source and closed models." Open models are AI systems with core components that are publicly available. Users can download and modify these models for specific tasks.
Chinese open AI models are increasingly utilized by US companies, as their costs can be lower compared to closed AI tools developed by companies such as Anthropic, OpenAI, and other US firms. Bessent has called for the US and China to agree on "safety barriers" for AI, aiming to prevent powerful models from falling into the hands of malicious non-state actors.
"The United States remains a leader in AI. We are ready to discuss how to prevent shared risks and avoid our two systems from becoming separated," Bessent stated regarding the talks with China.
Reuters sources indicated that discussions could extend into 21/9. The agenda will remain "flexible" to allow for deliberation on various related issues.
Among other anticipated topics is the extension of the US-China import tariff reduction agreement, set to expire on 10/11. Additionally, they will address improving the flow of rare earth magnets and other essential minerals, which Beijing tightened controls on last year.
In May, the US and China also initiated discussions to reduce import tariffs on non-strategic products. They will also establish a similar forum to address specific investment issues.
Ha Thu (according to Reuters)
