China, US agree on strategic stability, trade and AI cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump have agreed to build a “constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability” based on respect, fairness and reciprocity, according to a statement issued by China’s Embassy in Washington, DC.

The understanding was reached during Xi’s state visit to the United States from September 23 to 25, during which the two leaders held “in-depth discussions” on bilateral ties and major international and regional issues, the ministry said in a statement.

The two sides reached eight “deliverables and understandings”, it added.

Under the first understanding, China and the US agreed to work towards a constructive relationship of strategic stability based on “respect, fairness and reciprocity”.

The two countries also agreed to support each other in hosting the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and the G20 Summit. Xi and Trump intend to attend each other’s meetings, according to the statement.

On Iran, the two leaders agreed that Tehran should honour its commitment not to develop nuclear weapons. They also agreed that “no country or institution can be allowed to impose tolls on international waterways”, without elaborating on the specific waterways or arrangements involved.

The leaders also recalled that China and the US had been allies during World War II and fought together to defeat the Axis powers.

On trade, Xi and Trump recognised the “positive role” of the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism and endorsed the outcomes of recent talks between their economic teams.

The outcomes include establishing and advancing a Board of Trade and other mechanisms, as well as an arrangement for a $30 billion reciprocal tariff reduction, the ministry said.

According to the statement, the two leaders also agreed to extend the outcomes of economic and trade consultations held in Kuala Lumpur and instructed their respective teams to implement the agreements.

The two sides also welcomed progress in counter-narcotics and law-enforcement cooperation. According to Beijing, Chinese and US agencies had jointly cracked several cases involving new psychoactive substances and precursor chemicals and arrested dozens of suspects in the two countries.

AI cooperation

China and the US further agreed to establish a China-US AI Dialogue to exchange views on the risks and benefits associated with artificial intelligence.

The next round of the dialogue is scheduled for November 2026, while the two countries will also establish a bilateral communication channel for AI-related incidents.

The announcement comes amid growing international efforts to develop mechanisms for managing the risks associated with increasingly advanced AI systems.

In a symbolic gesture, the United States also welcomed the arrival of two giant pandas leased by China to Zoo Atlanta.

Meanwhile, the Chinese and US militaries agreed to conclude a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on crisis communication and prevention “as soon as possible”.

The two militaries will also continue cooperation to search for the remains of US service members who went missing in China, according to the statement.

The ministry said the agreements and understandings were reached as Xi and Trump discussed the future of China-US relations as well as major international and regional issues during the Chinese president’s September 23-25 state visit.

A day earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that President Xi’s US state visit had led to new progress in a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability, according to Xinhua news agency.

Read: Xi’s visit boosts strategic stability in China-US ties, says FM

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while briefing reporters on Xi’s state visit to the United States from September 23 to 25.

President Xi and President Trump had a candid and in-depth exchange of views in a friendly atmosphere of mutual respect on strategic and overarching issues concerning China-US relations and the broader global landscape, Wang said.

Since President Trump began his second term, the two heads of state have maintained close exchanges, including three in-person meetings and five phone talks, and fostered a pattern of interaction marked by mutual respect and sincerity, said Wang, noting this has become the most valuable strategic asset in China-US relations.

An important political outcome of the visit was that President Xi and President Trump further enriched the substance of the new positioning of China-US relations and have agreed to build a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability based on respect, fairness and reciprocity, Wang said.

Respect means respecting each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, respecting each country’s choice of social system and development path, and respecting the other side’s core interests and major concerns, Wang said.

Fairness, Wang continued, means pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation and handling differences through consultation, rejecting a zero-sum game in which one side’s gain comes at the expense of the other’s, and not seeking unilateral absolute advantage.

Reciprocity means that the two countries are equal in sovereignty, that neither side stands above the other, that neither engages in hegemonic nor bullying behaviour, that each side’s concerns are addressed on an equal basis, and that cooperation across various fields develops in a balanced manner, Wang said.

Noting that President Xi has pointed out that a stable China-US economic and trade relationship requires both expanding the list of cooperation and shortening the list of problems, Wang said that the US side should treat Chinese companies fairly, resolve problems through dialogue and negotiations, and promote the sustained, stable and positive development of China-US economic and trade relations.

The fentanyl abuse problem in the United States is not caused by China, but China has always acted with the utmost goodwill and made every effort to assist the US side in addressing the fentanyl crisis, Wang noted, adding that the two heads of state tasked the law enforcement agencies of the two countries with continuing to strengthen cooperation and jointly combat transnational crime.

To promote people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States, President Xi has announced a series of new measures, including inviting 100,000 young Americans to visit China for exchange and study programs over the next five years, Wang said.

One piece of good news that has been particularly welcomed by the American public is that two pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will soon arrive at Zoo Atlanta, Wang added.

During the visit, Wang said, the two heads of state had an in-depth exchange of views on major international and regional issues of common concern and agreed to strengthen coordination to make due contributions to world peace and development.

President Xi also encouraged relevant parties to stay committed to peace, supported the United States and Iran in returning to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, resuming dialogue and negotiations at an early date, and ultimately reaching a comprehensive agreement covering the nuclear issue, Wang said.

During the visit, President Xi and President Trump also had an in-depth exchange of views on AI, pointing out that the two countries should leverage respective strengths rather than guard against each other, Wang said.

The two heads of state agreed to make good use of AI dialogue mechanisms between the two countries and jointly prevent the misuse and abuse of AI, Wang added.

Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials, Wang said that China and the United States are both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and it is their shared responsibility to uphold the postwar international order and prevent the resurgence of militarism.

China and the United States will respectively host the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and the G20 Leaders’ Summit in the fourth quarter of this year, Wang said, adding that the two heads of state confirmed their mutual support, which will continue to inject momentum into cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and global governance.

(With additional input from agencies)