US, China Agree to Expand Military Contact, Hold AI Talks Amid Ongoing Disagreements

The United States and China have agreed to expand military-to-military contact and hold a second round of talks on artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation, despite ongoing disagreements on core issues. The agreement was reached during a two-day meeting between US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and China's top diplomat Wang Yi in Beijing, which ended on August 28.

Both sides agreed to maintain high-level exchanges and continue cooperating in areas such as drug control, law enforcement, climate change, and the repatriation of illegal immigrants. A possible call between US President Joe Biden and his counterpart Xi Jinping "in the coming weeks" was also discussed.

The meeting was the fourth of its kind since May 2023, when the two leaders met in Vienna to lay the groundwork for a series of top-level bilateral meetings. The talks aimed to restore a measure of stability to the bilateral relationship, which has been strained over issues such as technological sanctions, Taiwan, and China's support for Russia in the Ukraine war.

While both sides described the talks as "candid, substantive, and constructive," there was little indication of any headway being made on substantive disagreements. The US and China remain locked in a competitive relationship, with deep-seated differences on issues such as the South China Sea, Taiwan, and economic policies.

On the South China Sea, China's Wang Yi emphasized that "China is firmly committed to safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights over the South China Sea islands." However, the US' Sullivan expressed concerns about China's "destabilizing actions" against lawful Philippine maritime operations.

The two sides also discussed the issue of Taiwan, with Wang stressing that Taiwan independence is the biggest risk to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The US, however, emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The US has also raised concerns about China's economic policies, including its "unfair trade policies and non-market economic practices." China, on the other hand, has accused the US of "suppressing" its development in fields such as AI.

Despite the ongoing disagreements, both sides agreed to hold a second round of China-US intergovernmental dialogue on AI at an appropriate time. The first round of talks was held in Geneva in May 2024.

Experts have described the meeting as a success in terms of expressing each other's opposite positions and policies on major issues. However, they also noted that the US and China remain "miles apart" on critical issues, and that the most they can get out of the meeting is probably “agree to disagree.”