US and China agree to AI communication channel after Washington summit

The White House announced that the United States and China have agreed to set up a bilateral communication channel for artificial‑intelligence incidents following a three‑day summit in Washington, DC.

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met to discuss AI, trade, and the stalled war in Iran, and confirmed further meetings at international summits in China and the US later this year.

The agreement also extends a trade truce, pushing the deadline from November to January to allow more dialogue. China has pledged to import at least 10 million metric tonnes of US coal in 2027‑2028 and to apply more favourable tariffs on $30 billion of “non‑sensitive” goods each way.

Xi stressed that both nations, as leading AI powers, share the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI “for good”, urging a “healthy competition” rather than a zero‑sum race.

The summit, described by Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher as heavy on ceremony, also featured a state banquet, a military parade and a visit to the National Archives. Two pandas are slated to arrive at a US zoo, and the leaders will reconvene at the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November and the G20 in Miami in December.

Source: Al Jazeera. Photo: Ambient Vista / Pexels.