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The United States plans to propose an artificial intelligence “hotline” with China during President Donald Trump’s upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to Al Jazeera.
The proposed system would allow Washington and Beijing to notify each other when an AI-related incident becomes serious enough to threaten national security. The idea was discussed on Sunday in New York by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.
What would the AI hotline do?
US officials have described the proposal as a broader dialogue on artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on national security, shared risks and common threats.
“We think that, just like with any cross-border activity, that moving from opaque to more transparency between the number one and the number two AI powers in the world is very important,” Bessent told reporters after the talks.
Michael Kratsios, Trump’s science and technology adviser, said the main goal was to discuss ways to avoid shared risks. Officials have not disclosed what specific incidents would trigger a notification.
Scott Singer, co-director of the China AI Initiative at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said information-sharing could help both countries manage emerging threats and protect their citizens.
How has China responded?
Beijing has not publicly confirmed whether it supports the proposed mechanism. China’s official Xinhua news agency said the two officials held “frank, in-depth and constructive exchanges” on economic and trade issues and discussed matters related to AI, without providing details about the notification system.
He and China’s chief trade negotiator Li Chenggang left the meeting without speaking to reporters.
Why is the proposal being discussed now?
The initiative comes as the United States and China intensify their competition for leadership in artificial intelligence. US technology companies remain dominant in private investment and the development of leading AI models, while Washington also retains an advantage in advanced semiconductors used to train them.
According to Stanford University’s 2026 AI Index Report, US companies invested $285.9 billion in AI in 2025, compared with $12.4 billion in China. However, Chinese firms have continued developing competitive models despite US restrictions on access to advanced chips.
The January launch of Chinese startup “DeepSeek” drew global attention after the company’s model was developed using a fraction of the spending of rival AI programmes. The release also triggered sharp falls in the share prices of US technology companies.
China has advantages elsewhere in the AI supply chain, including critical rare-earth production and electricity generation. It produces more than twice as much electricity as the United States, providing access to large amounts of relatively inexpensive power for AI data centres.
Existing US-China crisis channels
The proposed AI mechanism would build on earlier efforts to maintain direct communication between Washington and Beijing. In 1997, former US President Bill Clinton and Chinese President Jiang Zemin agreed to establish a secure telephone link between the two countries.
The United States and China have also operated a military hotline since 2008. It is intended to enable senior defence officials to communicate during potentially dangerous incidents, although US officials have complained that calls are sometimes not answered. The system gives each side 48 hours to respond.
After the United States shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon in 2023, then-US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin sought to speak with his Chinese counterpart, but Beijing declined the request.
What will Trump and Xi discuss?
Xi’s state visit to the United States is scheduled to run from Wednesday to Friday, with Trump expected to welcome him at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. Trump has said he expects to discuss “almost everything” with the Chinese leader.
Trade is expected to remain a central issue, as Washington and Beijing have yet to reach a lasting agreement on tariffs. Other points of tension include China’s dominance of rare-earth supplies and the issue of Taiwan.
Analysts say the AI proposal could provide an uncommon opportunity for cooperation between the two rivals. Singer said a permanent channel focused exclusively on AI risks could help separate technical safety concerns from wider disputes in the US-China relationship.
Competition is unlikely to ease, but experts say cooperation on basic AI safeguards could coexist with the broader strategic rivalry.
