The United States and China agreed to cut tariffs on US$30 billion worth of goods and to begin a dialogue on artificial intelligence, the two countries said after President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington.
The tariff reductions are to apply to U.S. exports, such as agricultural products, timber, and cosmetics, as well as to U.S. imports, including small appliances, toys, and home decor items, according to a White House statement released on Friday.
“The two countries have reached a consensus on recommendations for more favorable tariff treatment for US$30 billion in non-sensitive goods in both directions,” the White House said.
The three-day summit between Xi and President Donald Trump, which ended on Friday (the 25th), highlighted personal diplomacy rather than major public breakthroughs.
Xi has already landed in Beijing, the Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday.
Both sides also agreed to create a trade council and to expand the outcomes of earlier talks in Kuala Lumpur, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The agreement follows the initiative by the world’s two largest economies to extend for two months a trade truce that was set to expire on November 10, giving more time to pursue a potentially larger trade deal, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday.
“This historic visit enriched the constructive and stable relationship between China and the United States, maintained overall stability of bilateral ties, opened a new chapter in the relations between the two countries, and will have a long-range impact on world peace and development,” said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in a statement.
AI Dialogues
Regarding artificial intelligence, the two sides agreed to maintain a dialogue on the risks and benefits of the technology, with the next round of discussions scheduled for November, and they agreed to establish a channel of communication for AI-related incidents, the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the White House said.
The White House said the leaders agreed to use the term “superintelligence” instead of “artificial intelligence.”
In a separate statement, the Chinese ministry said Beijing valued the use of the new term by Washington.
As AI technology continues to advance, the two sides should intensify exchanges and work toward convergence, according to the latest developments, it said.
The two sides also agreed to support each other in organizing the leaders’ meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the G20 summit.
On foreign policy, the leaders agreed that Iran must fulfill its commitment not to develop nuclear weapons and that no country or entity should impose transit fees on international waterways, the two countries said.
(Reporting by the Shanghai Newsroom and Katharine Jackson, in Washington)
