Xi is in the driver's seat, reflecting American weakness, but there still may be some space for limited advances. The article argues that while many believe U.S.-China collaboration is impossible, there's one area where diplomacy succeeded: narcotics. The U.S. pressured China to curb exports of fentanyl precursors used in Mexican drug labs.

China complied, leading to scarcer and more diluted fentanyl in the U.S., reducing overdose deaths. The author credits the diplomats who negotiated these measures, noting such cooperation could serve as a model for A. I. diplomacy.