OpenAI is advocating for the establishment of a US-led global AI governance body that would include China as a participant. Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s Vice President of Global Affairs, proposed this mechanism on May 13, 2026, during a briefing in Washington. The official stated that the US has a strategic opportunity to leverage its technological leadership to create a global framework for safer and more resilient AI systems. The proposed organization could be modeled after the International Atomic Energy Agency, which maintains global safety standards for nuclear energy to prevent weapons proliferation. OpenAI suggested that this body could be established by connecting the US Commerce Department’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation with similar safety institutes currently being formed worldwide.

The proposal comes as US President Donald Trump visits Beijing for high-level meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking the first state visit to China by a US leader in nine years. The delegation accompanying President Trump includes senior administration officials and business leaders such as Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia Corp. While AI governance is expected to be a key topic of discussion, the administration’s position remains in flux. White House officials have previously indicated a preference for rejecting worldwide governance frameworks for AI technology, and current cybersecurity executive orders emphasize voluntary rather than mandatory pre-deployment reviews.

Discussions between the two nations are also addressing concerns from US-based AI firms regarding the competitive landscape. Companies including OpenAI and Anthropic have raised complaints that Chinese developers are utilizing outputs from American models to produce rival systems at a significantly reduced cost and without equivalent safety guardrails. Additionally, the conversation is influenced by recent internal policy shifts following reports from Anthropic regarding global cyber risks associated with its Mythos artificial intelligence model. While US officials have expressed an interest in opening new communication channels with China to regularly discuss AI-related issues, the specific structure of such cooperation remains undecided as trade and geopolitical tensions persist.

OpenAI is advocating for the establishment of a US-led global AI governance body that would include China as a participant. Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s Vice President of Global Affairs, proposed this mechanism on May 13, 2026, during a briefing in Washington. The official stated that the US has a strategic opportunity to leverage its technological leadership to create a global framework for safer and more resilient AI systems. The proposed organization could be modeled after the International Atomic Energy Agency, which maintains global safety standards for nuclear energy to prevent weapons proliferation. OpenAI suggested that this body could be established by connecting the US Commerce Department’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation with similar safety institutes currently being formed worldwide.

The proposal comes as US President Donald Trump visits Beijing for high-level meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking the first state visit to China by a US leader in nine years. The delegation accompanying President Trump includes senior administration officials and business leaders such as Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia Corp. While AI governance is expected to be a key topic of discussion, the administration’s position remains in flux. White House officials have previously indicated a preference for rejecting worldwide governance frameworks for AI technology, and current cybersecurity executive orders emphasize voluntary rather than mandatory pre-deployment reviews.

Discussions between the two nations are also addressing concerns from US-based AI firms regarding the competitive landscape. Companies including OpenAI and Anthropic have raised complaints that Chinese developers are utilizing outputs from American models to produce rival systems at a significantly reduced cost and without equivalent safety guardrails. Additionally, the conversation is influenced by recent internal policy shifts following reports from Anthropic regarding global cyber risks associated with its Mythos artificial intelligence model. While US officials have expressed an interest in opening new communication channels with China to regularly discuss AI-related issues, the specific structure of such cooperation remains undecided as trade and geopolitical tensions persist.