Xi Warned Trump About the Thucydides Trap. Agentic AI Is Its New Terrain
The recent summit in Beijing between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping focused on trade and artificial intelligence safety. A key commitment was made to develop best practices for AI safety and prevent nonstate actors from accessing advanced AI models. However, the summit did not address the governance of autonomous systems and the potential conflicts that may arise when U.S. and Chinese AI systems operate together.
- ▪The summit included discussions on trade stabilization and Boeing jet orders.
- ▪U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a commitment to AI safety discussions.
- ▪China is developing its first national framework for autonomous AI agents.
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ColumnAsia-Pacific Xi Warned Trump About the Thucydides Trap. Agentic AI Is Its New TerrainCandace RondeauxMay 21, 2026May 21, 2026Chinese leader Xi Jinping with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing, May 15, 2026 (pool photo by Evan Vucci via AP) Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Email (Opens in new window) Last week’s summit in Beijing between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, largely followed a familiar script: trade stabilization, rare earths, Boeing jet orders and carefully choreographed images of attempted détente.
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