A weekend meeting between Washington and Beijing in New York focuses on the risk of incompatible artificial intelligence ecosystems. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discusses AI governance, trade, and rare earths with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, seeking to address "shared risks" while maintaining U.S. leadership in the technology.

The discussions take place ahead of a summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sept. 24. Bessent stated that the U.S. is open to dialogue to avoid the bifurcation of the two nations' AI systems, which would split the global technological landscape into two separate spheres.