# Why Trump and Xi may split on AI safety

> A Washington summit may put AI safety on the table, but the U.S. and China see the risks in very different ways.
- Title: Why Trump and Xi may split on AI safety · Foreign Policy
- Summary: A Washington summit may put AI safety on the table, but the U.S. and China see the risks in very different ways. AI safety talks will struggle unless…
- Keywords: china, trump, xi jinping, regulation, may, split, safety, Foreign Policy
- Source: Foreign Policy — https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/15/china-us-ai-safety-trump-xi-summit-diplomacy
- Author: James Palmer
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: ai, china, trump, xi jinping, regulation
## Summit hopes are thin
Trump and Xi are set to meet in Washington on Sept. 24, with AI safety likely on the agenda. Hopes for real alignment remain low.

> the chances of productive alignment on AI safety are low
## Cold War analogies tempt
Some analysts want AI rules to follow the pattern of U.S.-Soviet cooperation on arms control, disease, and the ozone layer, even amid rivalry.
## Taiwan noise clouds talks
China has reportedly threatened to cancel if U.S. arms sales to Taiwan proceed first. Palmer treats that as routine pressure, not the main obstacle.

> routine diplomatic noise
## They fear different AI
U.S. tech leaders fixate on superintelligence and machine control. Chinese officials focus more on technical failures, jobs, and political stability.
## Shared risks still exist
Security failures could give both sides common ground. The OpenAI-Hugging Face breach showed how dependent rivals still are on shared digital systems.
## Regulation is mismatched
China can force its tech firms into line with fines, blocked IPOs, ideology checks, and pressure on executives. The U.S. system gives companies more room to fight.
## Congress limits promises
U.S. AI rules would likely need new legislation, hard to pass in a divided Congress. Beijing may read the gap between promises and law as bad faith.
## Trump rejects guardrails
Trump has made his hostility to AI regulation plain, saying strong presidential control is enough and blaming China for opposition to data centers.

> the only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs
## Rhetoric may bite back
Trump may think anti-China talk at home can coexist with cooperation. Chinese leaders may not separate the two so easily.
## Beijing sees information war
China’s state security chief described U.S. AI models as tools in a propaganda and cognitive war against China, hardening the mood before talks.

> propaganda war and a cognitive war
## Xi courts BRICS
Xi made a short visit to India for the BRICS summit, signaling some repair work with New Delhi after years of border strain.
## Other pressures build
China is refilling oil stocks, which may lift prices and pressure Trump. A deadly Qingdao shipyard fire has also drawn a high-level investigation.
## Key takeaway

AI safety talks will struggle unless Washington and Beijing first agree on which harms they are trying to prevent.