tech
Trump leaves Beijing saying he and Xi talked AI guardrails. Nothing was signed.
Asked what kind of guardrails on the way out, the US president told reporters on Air Force One: ‘standard guardrails that we talk about all the time’. H200 deliveries to ten cleared Chinese buyers remain stalled.
TL;DR
- Donald Trump and Xi Jinping discussed AI guardrails and Nvidia's H200 chips during a summit in Beijing.
- No signed AI governance framework emerged from the meeting.
- Ten Chinese technology firms were cleared to buy H200 chips, but actual shipments have not yet occurred.
- China's rare-earth exports remain significantly below pre-restriction levels.
- The US administration argues that selling regulated Chinese demand for H200 chips to Nvidia keeps revenue and jobs in the US.
- Concerns were raised by Senate Democrats about providing advanced US technology to China.
- The export-licensing regime for H200 chips is elaborate, including volume caps, third-party verification, and certification against military use.
- Rare earths and chips are considered linked in negotiations by both governments, but did not move together in Beijing.
- Hyperscalers have committed over $650 billion to AI infrastructure through 2026.