When Trump and Xi meet they will discuss AI. 'Track Two' talks are already buzzing

Chinese and US flags wave outside a technology company in Beijing, on April 17, 2025. (Photo by PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images) AFP hide caption toggle caption AFP The United States and China are locked in a cycle of fierce competition and mistrust over artificial intelligence, and experts say the chances that President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping can change the dynamic when they meet in Washington next Thursday are dim. In the past few weeks alone, the Trump administration has accused Chinese AI companies of stealing intellectual property by "distilling" leading U.S. AI models, and threatened sanctions. Beijing, for its part, has poured scorn on U.S. restrictions on chip exports, and accused Washington of running a "Cold War playbook" to hold Chinese AI down. It would seem there is little room, or appetite, for compromise. But former officials and policy experts say there is a buzzing bilateral dialogue — and a growing sense of shared concern about the dangers of AI — at the sub-national level in what diplomacy wonks call "Track Two." For decades, government-to-government interactions, sometimes called "Track One" diplomacy, have been underpinned by this sprawling networ...