Afternoon Brief, September 20th 2026
US and Chinese negotiators have begun their New York meeting. AI safety is part of the talks ahead of the Trump–Xi summit. The reporting establishes that negotiations are underway; it does not establish an agreement.
US–China AI talks begin in New York
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng began talks at JPMorgan Chase's Manhattan headquarters today, Reuters reports. The meeting started shortly after Bessent arrived around 10:30 a.m. Eastern, or 7:30 a.m. Pacific. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is also participating in the negotiations, which cover AI alongside trade and critical minerals.
The change is the start of the negotiations: officials have moved from announcing an agenda to meeting in person ahead of the Washington summit. The South China Morning Post also reports that the meeting begins their dialogue on AI safety and governance. Neither account reviewed establishes agreed restrictions on models, a joint safety standard or a change in chip-export rules. Those outcomes remain unconfirmed. SourcesBB