So, reading between the lines, Xi wants to be an honest actor.
But…
The Chinese communist party and many in Chinese military are cabal. They probably doubled down there when Putin took control in Russia, knowing they needed another strong wedge to control him. Our CIA and aligned businesses (Google) have been running that for decades now, getting ever more deeply embedded. Controlling ever more of Chinese life - especially with the internet control.
Over the last 20 years or so, those cabal actors have been actively undermining US institutions and businesses through stealing of intellectual property and propaganda control of media and universities.
Guesses now about Xi. He does have his own power, but he's controlled to some degree and has to walk a fine line to maintain it. He probably had enough personal clout to influence the freeing of North Korea. They were kind of a burden anyway. But he needs help to clean up his own institutions.