Could the US and China agree to slow AI?

In Geneva on 14 May 2024, US and Chinese officials held their first intergovernmental AI dialogue, which produced no joint statement or deliverables.[1] China's readout called the talks constructive but said China protested US restrictions and pressure on its AI sector.[1] Both governments had signed the November 2023 Bletchley Declaration, the first document on catastrophic AI risk signed by the US and China.[2] In February 2025, US Vice President JD Vance warned that heavy regulation could kill AI, and Washington declined to sign a Paris summit statement China signed.[3][4] Chips remain a sore point: the US required licences for Nvidia H20 exports in April 2025, and China later discouraged using them.[5] Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said US attempts to wall off AI technology cannot stop other countries and risk mistakes with historic consequences.[6]