How A.I. Was the Elephant in the Room at the Trump-Xi Summit
President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing failed to address artificial intelligence as a central topic, despite tensions over U.S. chip export controls and accusations of Chinese AI theft. The talks instead focused on trade agreements for Boeing products, beef, and beans, with no major breakthroughs on AI governance or semiconductor sales like Nvidia’s H200 chip.
President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing concluded without placing artificial intelligence at the core of discussions, despite the global AI race between the two superpowers. The U.S. delegation, which included tech leaders like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, aimed to push for AI-related agreements but instead focused on limited trade deals. The talks occurred amid heightened U.S. concerns over Chinese AI advancements and allegations of mass AI theft by Beijing. The White House accused China of stealing AI technology, while Democratic lawmakers warned against allowing Chinese firms to purchase U.S. AI chips. Nvidia sought to finalize a deal to sell its H200 chips to China, but Chinese firms delayed purchases due to government encouragement to support domestic chipmakers like Huawei. Observers had hoped for broader AI governance frameworks or technological cooperation, but discussions appeared more like a trade show, according to Chong Ja Ian, a professor of international relations at the National University of Singapore. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that semiconductor export controls were not a major topic, and any agreements focused on increasing Chinese purchases of U.S. Boeing aircraft, beef, and beans. The summit also touched on geopolitical tensions, including the U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran. Trump reported that Xi pledged not to supply military equipment to Iran, though China continues to purchase Iranian oil. The U.S. president urged Xi to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route closed after recent U.S.-Israel attacks. Despite the absence of major AI breakthroughs, the undercurrent of AI competition remained a backdrop to broader discussions on Taiwan, Iran, and economic ties. The summit highlighted the challenges of balancing trade, technology, and security in U.S.-China relations.
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