The future of Sino-American relations rests with maximising the yield of what can be changed, and minimising the relevance of what can’t be changed. The multitude of differences that the U.S. and China can’t resolve must be set aside to allow for genuine change to take place.

While the United States talks about the need to prevent conflict with China, it engages purposefully in sabotage — especially regarding Taiwan and the South China Sea. While nations can design mechanisms to deal with unforeseen events, no guardrail can prevent a deliberate act.

Two presidents take a stand against a new cold war in a virtual summit. The old friends sought to renew relations and move forward — accepting competition but shunning conflict. How to achieve that is the big question.

The virtual summit between presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden began on a friendly note. But one can predict that the relationship between China and the United States may not go so smoothly in the future. There are likely to be storms and difficult struggles.

This week’s much-anticipated meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden offers welcome relief for a world nervously watching where the 21st century’s most consequential relationship is headed.

A major question with respect to China-U.S. relation has not been answered since it was first raised a few years ago: What are they fighting for? If this cannot be answered to the satisfaction of reasonable people, shouldn’t they just sit down and get on with pragmatic dialogue?

Though the Biden administration has promised that a comprehensive policy on trade with China would be produced, it is looking more and more like they intend to piece together Trump-era actions under their name.

Escalating conflicts are not a winning proposition for the U.S. and China, and signs from recent interactions between the two may indicate that leaders on both sides want to steer the relationship toward a more stable scenario.

Headlines would suggest a U.S.-China confrontation is imminent, but a close examination of the economic relations between the two nations and the material reality of trade reveal that instigating a conflict would be a proverbial shot in the foot for either side.

The importance of China-U.S. relations goes far beyond the two countries. Their relationship influences no only their own people but also sets an example for others. They need to step up to the task.