US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet in Washington this week, with artificial intelligence, tariffs, critical minerals and trade commitments expected to dominate the talks as the two countries seek to keep their fragile trade truce intact.
According to The New York Times, Washington and Beijing are discussing cooperation on artificial intelligence, trade in non-sensitive goods and a possible extension of the agreement that helped ease tensions between the world's two largest economies.
AI Guardrails, Critical Minerals In Focus
Both sides have accused the other of failing to honour commitments under the trade arrangement, with disputes increasingly spilling into technology, supply chains and business regulation.
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US officials have raised concerns over China's restrictions on exports of critical minerals used in automobiles, semiconductors and power tools. American companies have also flagged uncertainty over the reliability of those supplies.
China, meanwhile, has not met some of its commitments to purchase US agricultural products, adding another friction point ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting.
Artificial intelligence is emerging as another sensitive area. Washington has accused Chinese companies of replicating US AI models through a technique it describes as industrial distillation, while continuing to restrict access to certain Chinese technology products.
Trade Rules Create New Headaches For Companies
Beijing has also introduced measures that give authorities greater oversight of foreign companies operating in China. These include restrictions involving supply-chain audits and penalties for companies that comply with certain foreign sanctions against Chinese businesses.
China has also tightened oversight of outbound investment and mineral exports. The US, meanwhile, has added Chinese companies to military-related and forced-labour trade lists while maintaining restrictions on Chinese technology.
The measures have left multinational companies caught between competing regulatory requirements.
China has retaliated against US businesses involved in supply-chain verification, including firms examining cotton linked to Xinjiang. That puts companies in a difficult position: they may be required under US law to conduct certain checks while potentially facing regulatory action in China for doing so.
What Could Trump And Xi Discuss?
Washington wants Beijing to fulfil commitments to buy US agricultural products and Boeing aircraft. The two sides are also considering a new board of trade mechanism that could potentially lower tariffs on about $30 billion of goods traded by each country.
AI safety, the war in Iran, Taiwan and Chinese investment in the US could also come up during the discussions.
But the key economic question is likely to be the future of the trade truce, which is due to expire on Nov. 30.
China is seeking a longer extension, while the US has proposed renewing it for six months. A shorter extension would give Washington more frequent opportunities to review China's commitments and push for further concessions, according to the report.
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Trade Truce Faces Fresh Test
The Trump-Xi meeting could result in announcements aimed at stabilising economic ties, even as the broader US-China rivalry continues.
The disputes over critical minerals, AI, technology access and trade rules show that the truce has not removed the underlying tensions between Washington and Beijing.
For businesses operating across both markets, the immediate focus will be whether Trump and Xi can prevent those disputes from triggering another escalation in tariffs and trade restrictions.
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