After several years of intense competition, the resilience of China-U.S. relations ultimately showed itself in 2023. While anti-China rhetoric is bound to surface during the coming political election year — primarily from hawkish Republicans — many points of consensus are clear.

One month out from the Xi-Biden talks in San Francisco, the world may have witnessed a major turning point in China’s international affairs - if the U.S. plays along.

China and the United States have been working in the right direction since the Bali summit. However, they still face many challenges. Next year is the 45th anniversary of China-U.S. diplomatic ties. What better time to bolster the foundation of peaceful coexistence and inject some certainty into a turbulent world?

The summit meeting of presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden was an opportunity to redefine the narrative, find balance and set a precedent for a more predictable framework in which global challenges can be tackled together. The world is watching.

An overemphasis on competition may lead to pessimism and miscalculation. While the United States appears to be upgrading measures designed to pressure China, it should also strengthen its economic and trade ties. Interdependence and mutual benefit are excellent motivators.

Two presidents focused on restoring communication, expanding dialogue and managing risks, and they reached many points of agreement. But the United States is entering a contentious political campaign season, which is sure to include an increase in strident anti-China rhetoric.

The summit meeting between Presidents Biden and Xi Jinping south of San Francisco has provided new and important stability to the fluctuant and stressed U.S.-China relationship. In the absence of a joint agreed statement, both governments put forward their own interpretations of what was said and agreed in the discussions. These respective interpretations were, not surprisingly, in agreement concerning sensitive issues in the relationship. Nonetheless, a number of “deliverables” were announced.

The China-U.S. relationship is not going to rise from its low point anytime soon. An election year is approaching in America, and it will be fraught with anti-China rhetoric. With few opportunities for the leaders to meet and set a new course, the upcoming APEC leaders meeting in San Francisco will be pivotal.

If presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden can meet this month, getting China-U.S. ties back on the rails will get a much-needed boost on the order the their Bali meeting. The current international scene is chaotic, and China-U.S. relations are at a critical crossroads. The two sides must learn to co-exist and cooperate.

Click to watch the videoLadies and gentlemen, greetings from Beijing!My name is Nick Burns, I am the American Ambassador to the People's Republic of China. My t