The Trump administration faces strategic constraints in slowing China's AI progress, including avoiding rare earth restrictions, ahead of US-China talks on AI (Nectar Gan/Bloomberg)

The Trump administration faces strategic limits in slowing China’s AI development, as it must avoid imposing rare-earth restrictions that could trigger retaliation. These constraints shape U.S. policy ahead of upcoming U.S.–China AI negotiations, where the administration seeks to balance technological competition with diplomatic stability.