Bessent hails 'very successful' talk ahead of Trump-Xi meet as new tensions take center stage

WASHINGTON, DC: Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington later this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hailed recent talks with Chinese officials as a “very successful engagement.”

President Donald Trump first announced the Chinese leader’s visit to the US during his state visit to China in May 2026. Chinese officials on Monday, September 21, confirmed Xi’s state visit, saying it would begin on September 23 and end on September 25.

Scott Bessent's 'successful' remark sets positive tone for meeting

Scott Bessent on Sunday said recent talks with Chinese officials went well, a few days before President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet.

“We just had a very successful engagement with the Chinese on trade and AI, completing where we left off in Beijing. We created the board of trade and began the subject of artificial intelligence (AI), and this evening, those were operationalized,” the Treasury secretary said in New York City.

Trump will meet the Chinese leader when he arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. Xi’s state visit to Washington will include several bilateral meetings and a state dinner.

Despite the long-standing tensions between the countries, Trump has praised Xi as a “great leader” and a “strong man.”

Bessent addresses AI risks before Chinese meeting

Ahead of the meeting with Chinese officials, Bessent said the United States is open to discussing “shared risks” with China in upcoming AI talks, contrasting with President Donald Trump’s dismissal of AI safety fears as a “hoax.”

Bessent met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng as the countries discussed AI, trade, rare earths, and other economic issues.

“The United States remains the leader in AI, and we are open to discussions on avoiding shared risks and avoiding bifurcation of our two systems,” Bessent said in a statement to Axios on September 16 ahead of the New York meeting.

President Donald Trump has stated that the United States is leading China in artificial intelligence by about a year, declaring that "whoever wins AI" wins the future superpower race.

Trump also said he is planning an "AI Force" modeled on his Space Force and said a new "AI Czar" will be named soon, putting artificial intelligence at the center of America's technology push.

Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post on Saturday as US-China tensions over AI remain high.

“We will not in any way hinder or stifle the Growth of this incredible Industry,” Trump wrote.