Two and a half years of war have depleted much of the moral capital Israel accumulated over the past half-century. Meanwhile, the lobbying machinery in America has a resilience that no fleeting surge of public emotion is likely to overturn.

The 2026 midterm elections in the United States are set for early November. The results will serve as a test of the Trump 2.0 administration and are also are likely to have a profound impact on the stability of China-U.S. relations.

The United States, along with the emerging Global South and declining Western powers represented by the European Union and Canada, are all seeking to steer the future international order toward pathways they can more effectively shape and control.

The meeting of two presidents created a certain degree of stability and opened up possibilities for cooperation, but China-U.S. relations remain fundamentally fragile. Nudging the relationship in a constructive direction will require that both countries continue in good faith.

Back-to-back China-Russia coordination is a response to the growing turbulence in the international system. While their strategic collaboration enhances bilateral strategic predictability, it also signifies that major-country competition is becoming more protracted and complex.

If China and the United States can build on the positive momentum created through leader-level diplomacy, improving communication and crisis-management mechanisms, and can continue achieving practical outcomes, then the idea of a constructive strategic stability relationship will solidify.

Trump’s high-stakes visit to China against a backdrop of conflict with Iran and economic tit-for-tat exchanges have made those issues the central focus for observers, but the shift in the U.S. President’s tone on Taiwan’s defense may be just as consequential as any deal that emerges.

The May 14-15 summit meeting in Beijing between Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump resulted in some badly needed stabilization in bilateral relations. Both the symbols and the substance of the visit suggest a return to some normalcy of regularized interactions and the ability of the two leaders and their teams to discuss some of the most sensitive issues between the two sides. Even if detailed agreements are not reached (and not many were) there is still considerable value in such direct exchanges.

The recent visit by U.S. President Donald Trump and by Russian President Vladimir Putin can be seen as a limited buffer in current major-power dynamics.

China-U.S. relations involve the well-being of some 8 billion people worldwide. Both sides, therefore, need to safeguard their hard-won stability. They should honor their commitments and move toward each other to create favorable conditions for building a more promising future.