Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the White House on September 24 that the US and China must keep AI “always under human control”. Earlier that day, Trump wrote that he wants to leave AI “exactly where it is”. No AI agreement had been published by Friday morning.
New to this? Read it in simple words
- China’s leader Xi Jinping visited the White House and talked about AI with President Trump.
- Xi said both countries must keep AI under human control.
- Trump wrote that he wants to leave AI as it is, with no new rules.
- Talks on AI have started, but no AI agreement has been published yet.
- Guardrail
- A rule or limit that keeps a technology from causing harm.
- State visit
- An official visit by a head of state, with ceremonies and talks.
- Readout
- A government’s official summary of what was said in a meeting.
What Xi said
Xi spoke in the White House’s Grand Foyer, next to Trump. “Both China and the United States are leading nations in artificial intelligence,” he said.
“We have both the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good,” he added. The goal, he said, is to “ensure that the development of AI is always under human control and serves the well-being of the people”.
He also said competition between the two countries should be “healthy” and “kept within bounds”.
In their later meeting, Xi told Trump that the two sides “can continue their dialogue on artificial intelligence”. That line comes from a Chinese readout of the talks, as quoted by The Irish Times.
No AI agreement had been published by Friday morning. Reports differ on the proposed alert line.
What Trump said
Earlier that day, Trump wrote on Truth Social that AI would be a “big topic of discussion, but I want to leave it exactly where it is.”
“That is China’s position also. Our guardrail is the DOJ,” he added, meaning the Department of Justice. The Hill notes that Trump has repeatedly said this is the only guardrail AI needs.
Xi’s public words point in a different direction. The Irish Times reports that he suggested the two countries work together on guardrails.
At the White House, Trump used his new name for AI. “During this visit, we will also discuss pressing issues concerning security, technology and superintelligence — SI,” he said. “The decisions we make in these areas today can promote peace and prosperity for decades and decades to come.”
Talks have started, but no deal is public
In May, during Trump’s visit to Beijing, the two leaders agreed to start talks on possible AI guardrails. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, those talks began only this week.
Before the summit, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US had proposed a way to alert China about serious AI incidents. Reuters reported that he also said the two sides would meet again on AI safety in two months, in Shenzhen.
Reports differ on whether that alert line was agreed at the summit. The Irish Times wrote that the two sides agreed to set up a hotline. A Reuters and AP summary published by Al Jazeera did not mention an AI deal, and the White House had not yet released its own summary.
Tech leaders were close by. The White House guest list for the state dinner included OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang. On Friday, the two leaders were due to visit the National Archives.
Sources
Every fact in this story comes from the sources below. Open them to check our work.
- 1Primary source · September 24, 2026Remarks by H.E. Xi Jinping President of the People’s Republic of China at Arrival Ceremony at the White House Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China
- 2Research · September 24, 2026Xi says China, US have ‘responsibility’ to keep AI under human control The Hill
- 3Research · September 24, 2026Trump, Xi tout AI as key to U.S-China relationship during White House visit The Washington Times
- 4Research · September 24, 2026Trump-Xi summit: Four key takeaways from the Washington, DC, meeting Al Jazeera with Reuters and AP
- 5Research · September 25, 2026Donald Trump and Xi Jinping strike warm tone at White House as US-China tensions remain The Irish Times
- 6
- 7Research · September 20, 2026Bessent: US proposes AI incident alert system in talks with China Associated Press via ABC News
- 8Research · September 21, 2026US, China to meet again on AI safety in two months in Shenzhen, Bessent says Reuters via Yahoo News
We read Xi’s remarks as published by China’s Foreign Ministry, then compared The Hill, The Washington Times, The Irish Times, and a Reuters and AP summary. We found no US government readout of the talks. Because reports differ on the AI alert line, we do not treat it as agreed.