U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to China marked the first proper meeting between executive representatives from the U.S. and China since January’s balloon fiasco. Both countries are far away from signing into binding commitments with one another, but the summits alone provide a platform for communication to take place.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s long-delayed trip to Beijing has come and gone. Despite the predictable optimistic spin on the visit – both sides agreed to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and promised to continue talks – it did little to defuse the increasingly fraught conflict between the United States and China.

A single visit to China by the U.S. secretary of state will not change the trajectory of relations, and American officials have tried to lower expectations. The foremost test in the years to come will be the prevention of war, which many believe is unavoidable.

Antony Blinken’s visit to China will be a pivotal juncture in U.S.-China relations. The opportunity for both sides to start acting in good faith toward one another is precious and could change the trajectory of the near future.

Building a new type of major country relationship with the United States has been the consistent goal. Yet this cannot be achieved through the efforts of China alone. It requires both sides to pull in the same direction. Where relations go next depends on the strategic choices of both countries.

The window of opportunity for rapprochement between China and the U.S. is likely small, given the approach of America’s polarizing presidential election season. To put it bluntly, if the Biden administration fails to make corrections 2023 may become another lost year.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China represents one of the steps taken to actualize the principles discussed during the meeting between President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, in Bali. The visit was initially planned for February this year, but following the "spy balloon" incident, the Biden team decided to postpone it. This decision was influenced by domestic political pressures and an attempt to leverage these pressures against China.

Amid the souring stew if China-U.S. relations, the growing distance between the countries’ armed forces stands out as particularly significant. A halt in military interactions indicates high tension. The good news is that the two both sides agree that engagement still counts.

Some of you have recently joined us in celebrating the 100th birthday of Dr. Henry Kissinger. The centenarian has reminded us of how important peaceful coexistence between China and the United States is to humanity’s future. The history of the China-U.S. relationship has told us that both countries stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.

Managing uncertainties in China-U.S. ties will require the U.S. to accept all-around bilateral dialogue and exchanges between the two countries’ national leaders, experts, scholars and the general public. It needs to identify the true sources of significant disagreements and eliminate its misreading of China.