US–China AI Incident Line: A Minimal Step Toward Transparency

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent proposed an informal 'AI safety notification mechanism'—a direct communications line with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng to flag AI incidents with national security implications. It is not a formal joint threat-reporting system; China has not publicly agreed, and White House officials framed it as a simple incident-communication channel with plans to meet again in Shenzhen in roughly two months. The move signals a narrow but real step toward dialogue amid the U.S.–China tech rivalry and ongoing debates over chip controls and AI governance, with calls for more transparency and safety guidelines from global leaders.