Trump administration officials expressed worries about Chinese firms they said undermined Washington’s agenda, comments that come weeks before a planned meeting between the countries’ leaders. The US Treasury secretary warned that “nothing else would matter” if China were to win the AI race, highlighting Washington’s angst that Beijing may be catching up in the global competition for technological supremacy.
Meanwhile, the transportation secretary expressed “profound concern” about Ford’s ties to Chinese firms he argued were detrimental to the US automotive industry. China’s surging trade surplus, which President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized, will also loom over the talks. Beijing’s leader has recently met several global heads of state, seeking to project strength ahead of the meeting.
