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Trump Rules Out Joint US-China AI Venture, Citing Risk of Giving Away Secrets

President says Washington is 'leading by a lot' and rejects cooperation despite new bilateral dialogue

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
US President Donald Trump has ruled out any joint venture with China to develop artificial intelligence, arguing that cooperation would mean giving away American secrets to Washington's main economic rival. Speaking in Washington on Tuesday, Trump also resisted restrictions on AI despite mounting public concern, even as the two countries prepare for further talks in November.

Speaking at the launch of America.gov, an AI-powered portal for US government services, Trump said a joint venture with China would mean "giving a lot of secrets that we have that they [China] would want to have". He argued that the US is "leading by a lot" in AI and that "frankly, there is nobody in third place...it's all between us and China."

The remarks come days after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the White House, where the two leaders announced a new AI dialogue with further talks scheduled for November. They also established a communications channel aimed at preventing misunderstandings during AI-related incidents.

Trump said AI came up during his meeting with Xi, but he remains opposed to joint cooperation. "Then they're going to be able to immediately gain access to things that we know that they don't know," he said, adding: "we're leading now over China and everyone else, and I want to keep it that way."

Ahead of the meeting, China's foreign ministry warned that "narratives of threat" and confrontation hinder AI governance.

Trump also pushed back against calls for restrictions on AI, arguing that regulation should not stifle growth, despite increasing public concern over the technology's potential dangers.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The decision cements a competitive rather than cooperative path for the world's two leading AI powers, shaping how advanced AI technology develops and is governed.
  • Businesses and researchers hoping for US-China collaboration face continued separation, with separate standards and supply chains likely to deepen.
  • The new communications channel and November talks are aimed at managing risks between rivals, not building shared technology.

Background

AI has become a central front in US-China strategic competition, with both governments viewing the technology as critical to economic and military strength. The US has sought to protect its edge through export controls on advanced chips and AI technology, while China has pushed for international cooperation on AI governance. Last week's White House visit by President Xi produced an agreement on a new AI dialogue and a channel to prevent misunderstandings during AI-related incidents, but Trump's latest remarks make clear that cooperation will not extend to joint development.

Key Perspectives

Trump administration: The US holds a lead it does not want to surrender, and sharing AI knowledge through a joint venture would give China access to American advantages. China: Beijing has warned that "narratives of threat" and confrontation hinder AI governance, signalling a preference for cooperation and shared standards over rivalry. Critics and skeptics: Mounting public concern over AI's potential dangers puts pressure on the administration to address risks even as it resists restrictions on the technology.

What to Watch

  • The November AI dialogue talks between the US and China: whether they produce concrete agreements or remain a forum for deconfliction.
  • How the new communications channel performs during an AI-related incident, which would test its value in a crisis.
  • Any new US export restrictions on AI technology, or Chinese countermeasures, which could escalate or stabilise the competition.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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