Agriculture returns to talks
President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday, September 24, with agriculture emerging as one of the most closely watched areas of the U.S.-China talks.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had signaled ahead of the visit that announcements involving agriculture and non-tariff barriers could emerge from the talks.
Beijing committed after the leaders’ May summit in China to purchasing at least $17 billion per year in U.S. agricultural products in 2026, 2027 and 2028, and the talks now focused on whether this week’s negotiations could expand or accelerate those commitments.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said negotiators agreed to extend the tariff truce until January 10, and the extension was framed as reducing the immediate risk of another sharp escalation.
U.S. farmers were left watching whether summit announcements translate into export sales, inspections, deliveries and sustained demand for soybeans, beef, poultry and other agricultural goods.
First AI dialogue
He Yadong, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, confirmed during a press briefing that the United States and China held their first bilateral dialogue on artificial intelligence.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent led the AI meeting, which came during the eighth round of trade talks held last Sunday in New York.
The U.S. Treasury secretary said both countries agreed to establish a dialogue on AI and Washington proposed a mechanism to report incidents related to this technology that could reach the level of national security.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce confirmed a pact to extend the trade truce by two months, which was to end on November 10, and the agreement was described as keeping tariffs low for longer and ensuring the flow of rare earths.
As Xi landed in the U.S., Bessent told Fox News on Wednesday the two countries agreed to extend a trade truce to January, and Trump said in a Truth Social post that the leaders would discuss AI.
Truce extended, stakes widen
U.S. and China announced the agreement to extend the trade truce until January 10, coinciding with Xi Jinping’s arrival in Washington to meet with Donald Trump. Bessent stated in an interview on Fox that both countries agreed to extend until January 10 the so-called “Busan Agreement,” signed last year to curb the tariff escalation between the world’s two largest economies. The Chinese Defense Ministry said this Thursday that the Taiwan issue is the “most important” matter in the China-US relationship and urged Washington to act with “the utmost prudence.”
Xi Jinping called on the U.S. to build a relationship in which both countries are “partners” and not “rivals,” and the Chinese leader added that the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” and Trump’s goal of “Make America Great Again” can advance at the same time. The summit also put AI security on the agenda, with Washington and Beijing advancing preparations for a dialogue on artificial intelligence security that would include communication mechanisms to respond to possible incidents related to that technology.
