Trump gave Xi a red carpet greeting, but he didn’t get everything he wanted.

The goal of President Xi Jinping’s summits with Donald Trump is very obvious. China wants Washington to stay out of its way, especially when it comes to trade, technology, and Taiwan, since it feels that the US is attempting to curb its emergence as a superpower.

However, the Chinese leader didn’t get everything he wanted during this visit, even though Trump threw a red carpet for him. Only a few months, from November to January, were added to the trade truce that saw both nations halt a tit-for-tat tariff war and stop it from getting worse. As Xi attempts to serve out the duration of Trump’s term, Beijing had hoped for at least a year.

This means that important disagreements over tariffs, China’s hegemony in the supply of rare earth elements, and access to cutting-edge US semiconductors are moving forward into yet another round of negotiations.

This implies that before making longer-term concessions, the US expects China to do more to fulfilll its end of the agreement. Xi must face the unpleasant reality that his home economy is struggling. The nation is selling a record amount of goods abroad, but domestic customers are holding back. In a nation where 80% of people own their own houses, housing prices have fallen and youth unemployment is still persistently high.

Access to foreign markets is more crucial than ever as trade is supporting growth. Xi must shield those exports from the crippling tariffs that the United States applied the previous year.

Regarding Taiwan, Xi reiterated that China will not tolerate US arms supplies to Taiwan.

The US is legally required to give the self-governing island the tools it needs to protect itself.

Xi cautioned Trump in May that improper management of the matter might lead to a “collide or even plunge into confrontation” between the two nations. Then, citing it as a “very good negotiating chip” with Beijing, Trump postponed approving a $14 billion military package for Taiwan. During the negotiations, Xi might have taken advantage of that opportunity and probably said that limiting support for Taiwan lowers the likelihood of violence.

He expressed his optimism on Thursday that the United States would continue to take the “right attitude” of opposing Taiwan’s independence. Trump has failed to publicly address the Chinese leader’s remarks, despite bipartisan pressure to maintain US support for Taiwan. Although it’s unclear if they agreed to any protections, the two leaders did at least talk about artificial intelligence (AI).

All attention was on potential decisions regarding AI, particularly following Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s call to slow development for safety, addressing a serious warning of over a 10% chance of human extinction due to AI. While Xi emphasized human control over AI, Trump dismissed extinction fears as a “hoax.” Additionally, Xi announced the upcoming arrival of pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang in Atlanta as part of China’s panda diplomacy. More announcements are anticipated as the two leaders prepare for tea and a visit to the national archives.