When President Donald Trump sits down with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington this week, the agenda will be crowded.Trade.Tariffs.
Rare earth minerals.National security.
Supply chains.But looming over all of it is a technological competition that could shape the balance of economic and military power for decades: artificial intelligence.And increasingly, the battle isn't simply about who builds the best AI model.U.S.
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People on May 14, 2026, in Beijing, China.President Trump met with President Xi Jinping in Beijing to address the Iran conflict, trade imbalances, and the Taiwan situation while establishing new bilateral boards for economic and AI oversight.
(Alex Wong/Getty Images)TRUMP-XI’S CHINA SUMMIT IS A DEFINING TEST FOR AMERICA IN THE NEW COLD WARIt is about who controls the chips, computing infrastructure and technology ecosystem underneath it.America remains the global leader in advanced AI technology and semiconductor design.But China is pushing aggressively to reduce its dependence on American technology, and Huawei has emerged as one of the most important companies in that effort.
That should have Washington's full attention.For years, the United States has used export controls to restrict China's access to advanced semiconductors and semiconductor-manufacturing technology, particularly technologies with potential military applications.Those restrictions had a clear national-security objective: prevent America's most sophisticated technology from strengthening a strategic competitor's military capabilities.But there has also been an unintended consequence worth confronting.
China accelerated its effort to build an AI ecosystem that doesn't need America.President Donald Trump looks on during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 15, 2026.(Evan Vucci-Pool/Getty Images)AI 'DOOMERS' RISK KNEECAPPING US VS CHINA, B...