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Over two dozen lawmakers press Rubio and Bessent to establish sustained diplomatic channels with Beijing on artificial intelligence national security threats
More than two dozen House Democrats sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on September 18, pressing the Trump administration to open sustained diplomatic talks with China over the national security risks posed by artificial intelligence. The message is clear: the world’s two largest AI powers have no reliable way to talk to each other about the technology most likely to reshape warfare, surveillance, and critical infrastructure.
The letter, spearheaded by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), argues that current communication channels between Washington and Beijing are inadequate for addressing the speed at which AI capabilities are advancing. It calls for structured dialogue that extends well beyond any scheduled diplomatic encounters, including Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the White House.
A Democratic push with multiple fronts #
The Meeks letter is not an isolated move. It sits within a broader Democratic strategy in September 2026 aimed at building US-China cooperation on AI safety, a posture that contrasts sharply with Republican priorities centered on maintaining American technological dominance and restricting China’s access to advanced chips and AI tools.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) has separately reached out to Chinese AI firms, including Moonshot AI and Alibaba, seeking commitments toward a binding international agreement on responsible AI development.
Meanwhile, Rep. Ted Lieu and Sen. Ed Markey have sent their own letters to President Trump urging specific commitments from China on one of AI’s most consequential applications: maintaining human oversight over nuclear weapon launch decisions.
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A virtual hearing focused specifically on US-China AI risks was also scheduled for September 23, signaling that congressional Democrats intend to keep this issue front and center heading into the fall legislative calendar.
What to watch #
The September 23 hearing should provide a clearer picture of how Democrats plan to translate these letters into legislative action. One possibility is proposed legislation mandating the establishment of a bilateral AI risk communication channel, similar to the nuclear hotline frameworks established during the Cold War.
The calls for guaranteed human oversight over nuclear decisions from Lieu and Markey reflect a growing awareness among lawmakers that the technology is outpacing the policy guardrails meant to contain it.
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