Xi got Trump's red carpet welcome - but not everything he wanted
China wanted progress on trade, technology and Taiwan - but hasn't got as much as it would have hoped for.
Xi received a red-carpet welcome from Trump - but not everything he wanted
President Xi Jinping’s summits with Donald Trump have one clear purpose.
China believes the United States is trying to contain its rise as a superpower, and it wants Washington to stay out of its way - especially on trade, technology and Taiwan.
On this trip, though, despite Trump rolling out the red carpet for him, the Chinese leader did not get everything he wanted.
The trade truce, which saw both countries pause a tit-for-tat tariff war and avoid further escalation, was extended by only a few months - from November to January.
Beijing had wanted at least a year, as Xi looks to ride out the rest of Trump’s presidency.
That means key disputes over tariffs, China’s dominance in rare earth supplies and access to advanced US chips are being pushed into yet another round of negotiations.
It suggests the US wants China to do more to meet its side of the bargain before granting longer-term concessions.
The uncomfortable reality for Xi is that his domestic economy is struggling. While the country is selling a record number of goods around the world, consumers at home are holding back. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high and property prices have fallen in a country where 80% of people own their own homes.
Trade is helping support growth, making access to overseas markets more important than ever. Xi needs to shield those exports from the kind of damaging tariffs the US imposed last year.
On Taiwan, Xi again made clear that US arms sales to Taiwan are a red line for China.
The US is legally required to provide the self-governing island with the means to defend itself.
In May, Xi warned Trump that mishandling the issue could cause the two countries to "collide or even enter into conflict".
Trump then delayed approval of a $14 billion arms package for Taiwan, calling it a "very good negotiating chip" with Beijing.
Xi may have used that opening during the talks and likely argued that limiting support for Taiwan lowers the risk of conflict.
On Thursday he repeated his hope that the US would stick to the "correct position" of opposing Taiwan independence.
However, Trump - who is facing some bipartisan pressure to keep US support for Taiwan - has not yet publicly responded to the Chinese leader’s remarks.
The two leaders did at least discuss artificial intelligence (AI), although it is unclear whether they agreed on any safeguards.
All eyes were on whether they would make any concrete decisions on AI - such as agreeing to hold a summit - after an essay by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for slowing AI development to make it safer. That came after a warning from a top safety researcher at the company that there was a "greater than 10% chance" AI could cause human extinction.
But beyond Xi saying the importance of ensuring AI "is always under human control", little else emerged. Trump has most recently dismissed fears of human extinction from the technology as a "hoax".
The gift of Ping Ping and Fu Shuang to Atlanta was first announced in April, but Xi has now said they will arrive in just a few days as China’s panda diplomacy resumes.
There may be more announcements to come as the two prepare to have tea and visit the national archives on Friday.
But for now, one of the summit’s biggest wins for Beijing may have been the optics.
The lavish welcome, a personal greeting at the airport and a state banquet featuring sesame crusted sea bass and braised baby bok choy have been welcomed by those watching from China. It will have helped reinforce Xi’s image at home as Trump’s equal.
Memes comparing the two leaders have spread widely on Chinese social media. One popular image shows Trump grimacing as bomber jets fly overhead, while Xi remained impassive.
Xi has found a way to manage one of the world’s most unpredictable leaders. But while Trump talks of a "truly great friendship", China’s leader is focused on something bigger: securing China’s place alongside the United States as a superpower.
The pandas, the pageantry and the warm words may help smooth this relationship. But beneath the spectacle, the competition between the world’s two most powerful countries remains as fierce as ever.