US Treasury Secretary to discuss AI, rare earths with Chinese Vice Premier this weekend

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is heading to New York this weekend to sit down with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng for two days of talks covering artificial intelligence, rare earth minerals, and the broader economic relationship between the world’s two largest economies. The meetings, scheduled for September 19-20, serve as a diplomatic appetizer before the main course: a summit between former President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping set for September 24 in Washington. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is also expected to join the discussions. AI leadership and shared risks Bessent has made clear in the lead-up to the meeting that the US has no intention of ceding ground on AI. He’s framed American dominance in artificial intelligence as non-negotiable, even as some voices in industry and policy circles have pushed for a more measured pace of development. At the same time, the Treasury Secretary has signaled a willingness to engage on what he calls “shared risks” in AI development, acknowledging that both nations face real dangers from uncontrolled AI proliferation, from safety failures to the potential for adversarial uses, without conceding any competiti...