Bessent to Join Trump on China Trip for Xi Summit
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will accompany President Donald Trump to a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping focused on artificial intelligence dialogue.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in International Relations
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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will accompany President Donald Trump to China next week for a summit with President Xi Jinping. The summit will be the leaders' third meeting this year and is expected to advance bilateral dialogue on artificial intelligence.
Why it matters
Bessent said Washington and Beijing should harbor no illusions about their differences over AI, as the two countries compete for global AI leadership. He said the administration wants a constructive relationship based on balance and reciprocity.
The summit will be the third meeting between Trump and Xi this year, scheduled for next week. No specific agreements or deliverables on artificial intelligence have been announced ahead of the talks.
The players
Scott Bessent
Bessent is the U.S. Treasury Secretary and a senior economic adviser to President Trump who will accompany him to China.
Donald Trump
Trump is the current President of the United States, leading the American delegation to the summit with China.
Xi Jinping
Xi is the President of China and head of the Chinese Communist Party, meeting Trump for the third time this year.
The details
Bessent, speaking in New York, said the Trump administration wants to build a constructive US-China relationship based on balance and reciprocity. Discussions are expected to address advanced model testing, technology risks and the growing competition for AI supremacy between the two nations.
Timeline
Next week: Trump travels to China for the summit with Xi Jinping.
Political Context
The summit extends the Trump administration's strategy of pairing direct leader-level diplomacy with China alongside intensifying competition in advanced technology. Analysts will watch whether AI dialogue produces substantive guardrails or remains a forum for competing claims of leadership.
The summit could shape the US-China tensions that affect trade, technology regulation and the businesses tracking AI policy. Readers should watch for official readouts after the meeting to see whether any AI commitments are announced.
The takeaway
Diplomatic engagement on AI between the world's two largest economies may set the rules of competition, even if immediate agreements remain limited. Watching the summit's official outcomes will show whether dialogue translates into concrete action.
What happens next
Trump travels to China next week for the summit with Xi Jinping, where AI dialogue is expected to be on the agenda.
Further reading
For more background, explore International Relations coverage of US-China diplomacy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by News18.
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