It’s no easy task to expel the No. 2 economy in the world from the international arena. The U.S. president must start with the common denominator, which is that China is, in fact, influential around the world and other countries are loath to attack it. He must engage with China and let it sit at the table.

As U.S. President Joe Biden contemplates course corrections after his first months in office, one change seems especially worthy of consideration: a shift to a more pragmatic, less ideological foreign policy.

The Biden administration is making their policy toward China clear as they maintain a position emphasizing democratic values and alliances. In contrast to the previous administration, Biden also recognizes the need to invest at home in order to remain competitive with China.

For the sake of the shared interests of the human family, the U.S. needs to join hands with China and other countries for global governance and deal with urgent challenges, including the suppression of the COVID-19 pandemic and a reinvigoration of the world economy.

The ball is now in America’s court. The choices the U.S. makes for itself are critical. We should be patient as we wait to find out whether or not the Biden administration can make a historic decision for the good of human civilization.

China-U.S. relations should not be defined by vicious strategic competition but rather by a nurturing of mutual trust. The greatest obstacle is presented by China hawks in U.S. strategic circles who want to hijack American policy and prevent Biden from breaking away from Trumpism.

In a recent poll the new U.S. president’s approval among American adults was 59 percent. But on the diplomatic front, and especially on China policy, the administration’s performance has not only been mediocre but is laden with escalating risks of confrontation.

U.S. core national interests are defined by the new administration as safeguarding American strength, promoting power sharing to U.S. advantage and upholding a stable and open international system.

Although the Biden administration’s approach to strategic competition is quite different from the Trump administration’s, it does not necessarily follow that China–U.S. relations will stabilize and improve.

Reflecting on the recent meeting in Alaska between China and the United States, one might be tempted to worry about the tough U.S. posturing. Closer examination, however, suggests it was just political theater staged for the media and domestic observers.